Perspective American helmet to protect the face from shards
One of the areas of research conducted in the US was to protect the head of a fighter from various improvised explosive devices. It is important to note that American scientists paid great attention to the safety of the use of integrated multifunctional displays and electronic communication systems. All studies were carried out on mannequins, which were literally stuffed with ultramodern sensors, which makes it possible to achieve a realistic picture of the damage to different parts of the body. The most accurate computer simulation should help get rid of such a well-known problem as the “diving effect” - a shock wave from an explosion in the space between the head and the helmet of a soldier. The destructive impact of the shock wave should be extinguished by the protective mask and the pad on the lower jaw. They must dissipate the shock wave from the explosion and reduce the pressure on the face and eyes that is dangerous to the soldier’s health.
In this case, the protection from the blast wave will not be the only function of the new helmet. It is reported that he will protect the head of the soldier from the majority of the threats that await him on the battlefield. According to David Mott, the next stage of the research conducted by the NRL laboratory will be the close integration of a protective helmet with body armor designed for comprehensive protection of the chest and the head of a fighter.
It is worth noting that in the United States the development of such helmets has been underway for quite some time. American soldiers want to be like superheroes from Hollywood blockbusters. To help them in this, engineers and scientists are trying to test new means of protection, including helmets. One of the latest developments in this direction, information about which leaked into the network, was the helmet of the infantryman HEaDS-UP, which somewhat resembles the helmet from the popular computer game HALO. However, HEaDS-UP or Helmet Electronics and Display System-Upgradeable Protection (modular electronic head protection system) no one would call a simple toy.
The helmet of the HEaDS-UP is the result of many years of work in the framework of the project of the American Army Research Center, which is part of the Pentagon structure. This Revision development pilot is a modification of a standard army protective helmet, but with enhanced functionality. According to Discovery, the new helmet is designed to increase the protection of the soldier’s head, face and neck from possible damage.
The prototype of this helmet was equipped with a special ballistic transparent mask that is able to withstand the hit of 9-mm bullets. It is reported that the thickness of the armored glass will be 1 cm. The presence of such protection is extremely important, since, according to statistics, 72% of all injuries to the head occur in the area of the face. Knowledge of these results and forced the company Revision to develop a helmet, which would be characterized by increased protection of the face of a soldier. It is reported that the helmet HEaDS-UP in its characteristics surpasses all existing analogues today. True or not, it will be possible to be convinced only after the adoption of this helmet into service of the American army.
In addition, the HEaDS-UP helmet is impressive with the implementation of the possibility of projecting various images onto the protective mask-display. At the same time, American company specialists are not in a hurry to share all the details regarding their development. However, it can be assumed that the display may display the most important information in combat: a map of the area of hostilities, marked enemy targets, information about the health status of a serviceman, etc. On top of that, the new helmet can be easily connected to smartphones running on the Android platform, which the American army had previously chosen as a communication device for soldiers.
The helmet will use GPS maps of the area. Among other things, orders from squad commanders (duplication of orders) will be displayed on the fighter’s display in text form, as well as information about the current course of the battle. Also, the soldier will be able to receive streaming video from reconnaissance drones. And this is just a basic set of possible functions. If necessary, the functionality of the helmet can be significantly expanded, including with the help of American military programmers working for. If during the battle the protective glass or display is damaged, the transparent protective shield can be easily unfastened and removed. After that, the fighter will be able to continue to fight, but in the "analog" rather than digital mode.
It is reported that only the newest materials are used in the HEaDS-UP protective helmet. In addition to providing additional protection for the soldier’s face and chin, the new helmet should reduce the likelihood of brain injuries. The helmet works on the principle of a sport boot with air chambers - it is able to absorb rather strong blows. The novelty, which has an integrated function of additional reality, is estimated at about 2 thousands of dollars.
Information sources:
http://www.popmech.ru/weapon/44876-perspektivnyy-shlem-zashchishchaet-litso-ot-oskolochnykh-raneniy
http://www.innoros.ru/news/13/10/halo-vdokhnovil-amerikanskikh-voennykh
http://www.furfur.me/furfur/all/culture/167359-amerikanskie-voennye-vozmut-na-vooruzhenie-novye-shlemy-dopolnitelnoy-realnosti
http://naked-science.ru/article/tech/10-new-military-gadgets
Information