Connected Warrior
DARPA-funded fabric protects against chemical, biologic threats
By Nick Wakeman
Apr 27, 2021
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is developing new fabrics and protective equipment that can reduce the risk of chemical and biological threats to service members and responders.
FLIR Systems was awarded a contract potentially worth more than $20 million under DARPA’s Personalized Protective Biosystems program. Under the PPB award, FLIR will rapidly develop fabrics with embedded catalysts and chemicals that can be incorporated into boots, gloves and eye protection, company officials said. Teams led by Leidos and Charles River Analytics were also awarded PPB contracts.
The PPB program aims to reduce the weight, heat and physiological burden of the current personal protective equipment soldiers and health care workers must wear. By combining lightweight protective materials with prophylactic medical technologies, FLIR aims to mitigate chemical and biological threats to the eyes, skin and lungs, company officials said. The complete system will enable troops and first responders to operate without the burden of carrying and wearing PPE, which can cause heat stress and reduce time spent completing the mission.
https://defensesystems.com/articles/2021/04/27/darpa-personalized-protective-biosystems.aspx
