Optimal Restraint System Routing Procedures for Restraint System Development

A process for donning restraints did not exist as related to Soldier gear encumbrance. For laboratory testing restraint donning was left to the discretion of the technician or test engineer setting up the Anthropomorphic Test Dummy (ATD) and resulted in increased occupant excursion. Therefore the Ground System Survivability (GSS) Blast Mitigation Team (BMT), United States Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), Warren, MI. conducted studies which were accomplished through restraint system testing. This testing consisted of both Blast and Crash test modes. It was discovered that the ideal testing method couples the occupant to the seat and reduces the amount of restraint to gear interaction. When properly donned the occupant experiences reduced amounts of excursion vs. the improperly restrained occupant. This resulted in a procedure for which restraint systems are to be donned for test events. The routing procedure is included in this publication.