Army’s new helmet design looks like it is designed for fight in space. Specifically developed for chemical-biological protection, features heads-up display with GPS battle mapping, live targeting and more.
“It’s hot. Humidity is near 100 percent, and you’re in full combat gear — including chemical-biological protection. Between your helmet and mask, your entire head is covered, leaving a sensation of suffocating heat. Sweat pours as you run, climb and crawl through enemy territory. How can you get through it?
A fan blows soothing air across your face, under the tight-fitted mask.
Technology brings this relief to a Soldier through a powered air purifying respirator, which consists of a hose connected to the face mask from a blower unit and battery pack hanging off the hip or back. A typical respirator is heavy and cumbersome, adding to the weight of the equipment troops already carry.
In 2013, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center scientists began designing concepts for the next generation of chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear respirators. They developed a fan embedded within the mask’s filtration system that uses less power, is lighter and is far less bulky than conventional respirators. In addition to reduced weight and power requirements, this system offers major improvements to the level of comfort and effectiveness of the mask.
The mini-blower works by pulling air through a filtration system on the side of the mask and sweeping it across the nose cup to allow for even flow across the face. When the user exhales, the air valve closes and diverts all of the clean filtered air into the mask’s eye cavity to over-pressurize the face piece, preventing any potential for outside contaminates to enter the mask should there be a break in the seal.”
Source US Army
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