SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Today’s warfighter is often called upon to operate in extremely cold environments, both in operational and training settings. These environments can range from operating or training in geographical or seasonally cold areas to performing a high altitude, high opening (HAHO) or high altitude, low opening (HALO) parachute jump in extremely cold ambient temperatures. To operate in these environments, warfighters need a performance glove solution that will prevent heat loss in the hands and fingers. Passive, insulated gloves have proven to not be an option, largely due to the fact that they need so much insulation to be effective that the gloves are too large and bulky and compromise warfighter dexterity. The DoD has explored heated gloves on a number of occasions but no current solution exists to satisfy this market need. Challenges with current heated glove solutions include poor heat, significant bulk, compromised dexterity and poor electromechanical reliability. To address this key market gap, Human Systems Integration, Inc. (HSI), during this Phase I SBIR effort, will develop a Tactical Heated glove platform (TacHeat) that can be integrated into any glove form factor, including the Army Combat Glove and the Intermediate Cold/Wet Combat Glove.
