OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Military Operational Medicine OBJECTIVE: Develop and evaluate a mobile application to monitor and predict blast overpressure exposure, providing guidance for improved safety measures during explosives/weapon training in military and civilian environments. DESCRIPTION: Military units, civilian special weapons and tactics teams (SWAT), and commercial mining professionals are routinely exposed to explosive threats in training or real-world environments. Repeated heavy weapon firing, commercial demolitions, or use of explosive devices to obtain forceful entry to facility targets during training and in real-world operations expose these personnel to blast overpressure threats. These threats may be further amplified for detonations in enclosed spaces including buildings, tunnels, mines, or bunkers. Given the serious threat that blast waves generated by heavy weapons and explosive devices pose to military and civilian operators, there is a pressing need to optimize safety protocols to protect these personnel during training. Recent characterization of blast exposures recorded during explosive events demonstrate that servicemembers and first responders may be repetitively exposed to low-level blast while detonating explosives, conducting ordnance disposal, or firing weapon systems [Carr et al, 2016]. Repeated exposures, even within manufacturer described allowable limits, have been associated with acquired head injury and cognitive deficits including delayed verbal memory, visual-spatial memory deficits and impaired executive function. Recent reporting reveals that years after the service, civilian and military members involved in ordnance disposal or other high-risk activities may experience chronic brain health effects and may have elevated suicide rates [Stone et al 2024]. The application of computational models of blast overpressure (BOP) interaction with the human body and the surrounding structures validated by experimental data, collected in real world environments, could be useful to develop dual-use military, civilian or industrial safety training, operational protocols, and support operational medical mission planning [Spencer et al 2023]. The latest generation of mobile devices, linked to wearable sensors could provide a user-friendly platform for BOP algorithm use that could be used by individual military, civilian law enforcement personnel, mining, and industrial safety personnel for monitoring repeated blast exposures which could contribute to acute and chronic brain health effects. Such devices could provide fast computing capabilities, ample data storage, and user-friendly graphical user interfaces (GUI). They could also host a range of applications for image/video-based generation of architecture/geometry of structures, recording and processing of blast noise. The goal of this project is to develop a mobile application for commercially available mobile platforms to predict blast exposure by leveraging mobile sensing and computing capabilities, providing guidance for improved safety measures during explosives/weapon training in military and civilian environments. PHASE I: Develop design specifications for a mobile application capable of predicting the blast exposure on humans in open and closed spaces. It will be the performer's responsibility to access algorithms and blast exposure models available in peer reviewed publications such as the Journal of Military Medicine or other open-source literature and reports. Discuss and finalize the design specifications with the TPOC. Design specifications should include setting up blast scenes, simulating the blast exposure, and keeping track of exposure times during activities. Develop and demonstrate the proof of concept on selected weapons and explosive devices in both open and closed spaces. PHASE II: The goal of Phase II for this project is to develop, demonstrate and deliver a functional prototype of the mobile application for predicting and monitoring blast exposure caused by explosive devices and heavy weapons during training. Implement an initial functional mobile GUI for setup, execution and analytics of blast wave loads generated by explosive devices on structures and personnel in pre-defined training sites. Develop or leverage existing computational models for accurate prediction of blast exposure loads on servicemembers using mobile computing platforms. Integrate the computing engine into the functional mobile application framework. Demonstrate the mobile application capability to simulate blast dose to individual civilian safety and military personnel in both open field and closed facilities. Explore the on-device sensing and detection capabilities for integration into the mobile application. It is performer's responsibility to obtain access to Servicemembers either directly or in collaboration with DoD laboratories to demonstrate the mobile application and to collect feedback. In the final stage of Phase II, document, demonstrate and deliver the working prototype of mobile application for evaluation and feedback by military/civilian law enforcement stakeholders and prospective end users. Develop recommendations for deployment of the platform for use in military and civilian environments including occupational safety and health personnel, military/civilian/first responders, and industrial safety personnel. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III will involve deployment, testing, evaluation, and improvement of the mobile platform for military and civilian training environment use. The mobile blast exposure and diagnostic monitoring mobile application should support current and future activities within DoD, civilian government agencies, and industrial/commercial interests. The application could be an invaluable tool for industrial safety, safer civilian/military range training, and operational mission planning efforts. A mobile platform for recording and monitoring blast exposure could be used by civilians involved in commercial explosive demolition, explosive coal, rock and mineral mining, and others. REFERENCES: 1. Carr W, Stone JR, Walilko T, Young LA, et al., (2016) Repeated low-level blast exposure: a descriptive human subjects study. Military medicine. 1;181(suppl_5):28-39. 2. DePalma RG, Hoffman SW (2018) Combat blast related traumatic brain injury (TBI): Decade of recognition; promise of progress. Behavioral Brain Res. 340;102 5 3. Spencer, R.W., Brokaw, E., Carr, W., et al. "Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 734, Weapon Systems Line of Inquiry: Overview and Blast Overpressure Tool A Module for Human Body Blast Wave Exposure for Safer Weapons Training." Military medicine 188.Supplement_6 (2023): 536-544. 4. Stone JR, Avants BB, Tustison NJ, et al. "Neurological effects of repeated blast exposure in Special Operations personnel." Journal of neurotrauma 41.7-8 (2024): 942-956. KEYWORDS: Blast wave, human body blast exposure, civilian/military operations, industrial explosions, mathematical modeling, mobile applications, brain injury.
