Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. – Researchers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) have begun the process of creating a mannikin capable of testing a Soldier’s full ensemble against a live agent chemical or biological threat while undergoing physical stress and motion.

The project, known as the Agent Manikin Integrated Ensemble Examination (AMIEE), has received a designation by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical Biological Defense (DASD(CBD)) to be built and housed at DEVCOM CBC at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The ability to test the protective ensemble in realistic environments will help ensure protection against chemical and biological threats and supports Soldier lethality.

When complete, the manikin’s job will be to test full chemical protective ensembles, including boots, uniform, hood, mask and gloves, against live chemical agents. This approach allows critical insights on vulnerable areas for Warfighters in a compromised battlefield, all through the lens of a sensor-laden male manikin. According to Jennifer Hughes, a lab manager at DEVCOM CBC’s Engineering Directorate, AMIEE’s uniqueness lies in the ability to move rather than be statically tested.

“The test fixture will be comprised of a motorized mannikin that can walk, run, sit and kneel, offering an array of postures or specific activity that could show how a Soldier may be at risk of exposure,” said Hughes. “We’re looking for how an ensemble performs when interwoven with its individual parts. When running or kneeling in a shooting position, will there be any gaps or weak points that lead to contamination? That’s really what we’re getting at with AMIEE’s testing repeatability and strenuousness.”

The project arrives after more than a decade of collaborative research between DEVCOM CBC and the U.K.’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). AMIEE comes as an American iteration on DSTL’s “Porton Man”, the original motion-manikin used for live-agent testing which has demonstrated its benefits by being the first internationally validated chem-bio test capability. U.S. researchers have had long-term assignments in the UK as part of ongoing research with Porton Man and how to transfer its capabilities to an American testing platform.

AMIEE was built based upon the original UK design alongside lessons learned from previous Porton Man testing, helping to ensure that the capability will meet U.S. warfighter needs. Sharing similar equipment designs offers an opportunity for enhanced collaboration, results comparison, burden sharing and interoperability with allied partners.

The future project reached its most recent milestone in October when the DASD (CBD), Ian Watson, named DEVCOM CBC at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, as the site for construction operation of the capability. As the nation’s premier laboratory in chemical biological defense, DEVCOM CBC is poised to fully leverage AMIEE’s motion-centric style of testing for the next generation of chemical protective equipment for the warfighter.

“Before this, we would have to use simulants to test with volunteers and replicate exercises,” said Hughes. “Now, we expect to use live agents in both vapor and liquid forms in order to get more details on protective ensemble integration.”

The Center is positioned to add AMIEE’s unique capabilities to its already robust suite of testing tools available to its partners in government, industry and academia.

*******

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, is Army Futures Command’s leader and integrator within a global ecosystem of scientific exploration and technological innovation. DEVCOM expertise spans eight major competency areas to provide integrated research, development, analysis and engineering support to the Army and DOD. From rockets to robots, drones to dozers, and aviation to artillery, DEVCOM innovation is at the core of the combat capabilities American Warfighters need to win on the battlefield of the future. For more information, visit devcom.army.mil.

The DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center is the primary DOD technical organization for non-medical chemical and biological defense. The DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center fosters research, development, testing and application of technologies for protecting our military from chemical and biological warfare agents. The Center possesses an unrivaled chemical biological defense research and development infrastructure staffed by a highly-trained, multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, technicians and specialists located at four different sites in the United States: Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas; Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois; and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.