The latest shipment of five additional WIAMan Blast Test Manikins was delivered to the U.S. Army in December. Just prior to that shipment marked the first time that twelve WIAMan were gathered and operated together as a full-capacity test system. The new WIAMan, plus 2 development and 5 production manikins, were all gathered in DTS’s ATD Lab located in Seal Beach, CA for system validation testing and some ‘family’ photos.

“This was our first chance to test the External Distributor at full capacity. There literally have never been 12 WIAMan in existence, let alone all in one place,” said Tamer Abubakr, ATD Systems Manager at DTS. The test involved connecting all 12 WIAMan to a single Distributor, which manages test communication commands. As anticipated, the test was a success.

DTS’s involvement with the WIAMan project includes building the actual ATD (anthropomorphic test device), as well as the SLICE6 data acquisition system embedded inside and ancillary equipment like the External Distributor. Each WIAMan supports up to 156 sensor (data) channels. “A single exit cable from each ATD gets plugged into the External Distributor to manage communication, status, trigger, IEEE 1588 synchronization, and backup power if needed,” explained Abubakr.

U.S. Army WIAMan Blast Manikins were gathered at the DTS ATD Lab in California for a ‘family’ photo and the first opportunity to test some of the support equipment at full capacity with 12 WIAMan. 

Tamer then went on to explain in general terms how a blast test is set-up. First the miniature data recorders and sensors are embedded inside each WIAMan. The manikins are then positioned in the test vehicle and an exit cable from each ATD is run to the External Distributor. The Distributor sends commands to and from each ATD, and it’s secured in a blast bunker many meters away from the actual blast site. While one External Distributor can ‘talk’ to up to 12 WIAMan at a time, the official Command Center is miles away and manages the complete test set-up and trigger which is transmitted via fiber optic cables to the Distributor and then to each WIAMan.

DTS is prepared to deliver additional WIAMan to the U.S. Army as part of the contract, which includes up to 40 WIAMan in total. An official 700-page WIAMan accreditation report is currently under review by the U.S. Army, which will make WIAMan the first ever accredited ATD for use in under body blast testing.

DTS has been part of the WIAMan development team from the initial concept phase, including being chosen as the prime contractor to the U.S. Army. The Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin represents one of the most advanced collaborations of injury biomechanics research, engineering, manufacturing and testing. “WIAMan is the most hi-tech, biofidelic soldier surrogate in existence. It’s all about the data and each underbody blast (UBB) test provides more data to help keep our warfighters safer,” added Abubakr.

Our mission is the preservation of human life.

The SAFE Association is presenting its 58th Annual Symposium Nov 30 thru Dec 4. Composed of Government, Military, Industrial, and Academic interests, SAFE represents aviation, space, land, and marine safety disciplines for the protection of users worldwide

Don’t miss a presentation by DTS’s own Mike Beckage and Kyvory Henderson titled Advances in Miniature Measurement Solutions on Wed. Dec 2, 2020 at 3:30 PM EST.

SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM/AGENDA: Click to view

Previous exhibits, technical sessions, workshops, and product demonstrations have emphasized safety, protective equipment, and life support developments in the disciplines of:

• Occupant Crash Impact Protection — Aircraft & Automotive
• Environmental Hazards
• Flotation, Anti-Exposure, Survival Aids
• Acceleration Physiology and Systems
• Breathing Systems and Respirators
• Head Protection and HMD/S
• Personnel Protective Equipment Systems Design and Integration
• Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism
• Technology Transfer
• Chemical, Biological, Radiological PPE
• Laser, Ballistic Protection
• Testing Methods and Simulations
• Military Aircraft Ejection Escape & Survival
• Biodynamics & Physiology
• Energetics and Escape Path Clearance
• Parachute Recovery Systems
• Communications and Optics
• Accident Investigation
• Crewstations / Cabin Interiors Equipment
• Business & Commercial Aircraft Safety
• Search & Rescue
• Homeland Security

Diversified Technical Systems (DTS) in Seal Beach, California, was named as one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in Orange County. The awards program was created over a decade ago and is a project of the Orange County Business Journal and Best Companies Group. 

“Over the last 30 years, DTS employees have helped develop a culture of teamwork, personal growth, and a positive environment with a family spirit. It’s an honor to be recognized as one of Orange County’s Best Places to Work,” said Rollin White, president of DTS.

DTS was named 21st in the medium-sized company category. The awards program works to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Orange County, California, benefiting the county’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The two-part application process includes evaluating each employer’s workplace policies, practices and demographics, which is worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part is an extensive employee survey which measures the employee experience, and is worth 75% of the score.

This is the first year DTS has applied to the program and is honored to be recognized. “Dedication to our customers, and to each other, is what makes DTS special,” added White.

About DTS: Diversified Technical Systems specializes in manufacturing miniature, rugged data acquisition systems and sensors for product and safety testing in extreme environments. DTS data recorders and sensors are used for testing in a variety of industries including automotive, aerospace, injury biomechanics, sports, military and defense. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Seal Beach, California, DTS also has technical centers around the globe.

A new Dynamic Kinematic Recorder (DKR) is being developed by Diversified Technical Systems (DTS), as part of a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research Award to help NASA advance flight crew safety. 

“We worked with NASA to understand the pressures and forces astronauts experience during launch and re-entry phases,” said Mike Beckage, co-founder and CTO of DTS. “Unlike a crash or blast event that literally lasts milliseconds, flight crews experience intense forces over an extended time period.”

The gravitational forces exerted upon an astronaut during launch are roughly 3 times the gravitational pull on Earth. Reentry, which is faster than the speed of sound, creates additional stress and forces on the body. Each DKR will feature six degree of freedom (6DOF) sensing and onboard memory, which means all data will be stored in non-volatile memory. The data gathered with the DKR will be used to develop new protective gear, like restraints and seating.

Collecting field data without altering test dynamics is a challenge, especially when human subjects are involved and in extreme environments such as space. The innovative DKR recorder is rugged enough to withstand intense forces, yet small enough to overcome the size and mass concerns with payload heading into space. 

“For Phase 1 we came up with the concept for a physical device and made iterative improvements meeting NASA’s need. We proved the size, power and performance requirements. For Phase 2 we are working towards a final design and form-factor in anticipation of real-world testing and evaluation. The DKR needs to fit on, or in, a helmet, record for an extended time period, and not interfere with any gear or movements the astronauts need to perform during their mission,” added Mike.

The Small Business Innovation Research program awards funding to U.S. small businesses to support the development of new technology that can be commercialized. DTS has received numerous SBIR awards based on 30 years of experience developing innovative data recorders and sensors used around the world for safety testing in aerospace, military, and automobile industries.