
Address
AMSRD-NSC-AD-B
15 Kansas Street
Natick, MA 01760
United StatesDescription
The Natick Soldier Center (NSC) is located at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., under the Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM). We have the dedicated mission to maximize the soldier's survivability, sustainability, mobility, combat effectiveness and quality of life by treating the soldier as a system. Situated near the nation's birthplace of the Army, NSC is the birthplace of the soldier as a system concept. From its early manifestation in the Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble (SIPE) Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD), through transition to the PM managed Land Warrior (LW) program, to the current Future Force Warrior (FFW) ATD supporting the Army's transformation to the Future Force. NSC's focus has always been on the soldier. We accomplish our mission through basic and applied research, technology development and demonstration, and engineering of combat clothing and individual equipment, rations and food service equipment, airdrop systems, shelters, and organizational equipment. We also integrate and transition the technologies for combat-essential elements of command and control, survivability, lethality, sustainability and mobility into the soldier system and warrior systems for other services and agencies. We are in direct support of the Army's S&T vision, strategy, and Transformation Objectives. Our vision is to be the recognized center of choice for individual warrior-related technologies and warrior systems, and internationally known as a preeminent provider of research, development, engineering and integration services.
Mission
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Manage the development, integration and experimentation of all technology aspects of the Joint Army, USMC, Military Operations in Urban Terrain ACTD and Pathfinder ACTD.
- Ensure that the Science & Technology Program addresses the soldiers' needs, and supports the Army's S&T vision, strategy, and Transformation Objectives.
- Advance and transition modular and reconfigurable soldier system technologies that will benefit and serve the next generation warfighter's operational capabilities.
- Serve as a focal point among emergency response professionals, military personnel and civilians in high-risk occupations for exchange of information regarding protective clothing and individual equipment materials, systems and testing.
Technology Disciplines
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CAMOUFLAGE EVALUATION FACILITY
The equipment in this facility provides the ability to evaluate camouflage patterns year round against simulated woodland, desert, urban, and arctic backgrounds. Live plants in the desert and woodland scenes add realism for in-house measurements. The facility is equipped with specialized lighting to allow for simulation of daylight, as well as varying degrees of moonlit night skies for evaluation against night vision devices. Sensing devices used in the evaluation of camouflage items within the facility include: passive night vision devices, third-generation AN/PVS-7D binocular, AN/PVS-14, monocular, Sony low light level video camera with NIR illuminator, alpha short-wave infrared (SWIR) camera.
CERTIFICATION AGENCY FOR AIRDROP AND HELICOPTER SLING LOAD (HSL)
NSRDEC is the DoD certification agency for HSL and airdrop systems, equipment, and materials. In the certification program we test and certify how equipment is loaded, transported, and delivered by airdrop. We can test: Strength of any fittings (which are used to attach items like tiedowns and recovery parachutes) Cushioning materials that absorb the impact of landing on the ground Rigging Load distribution in the aircraft, using NSRDEC's Roller Test Facility Impact of a simulated airdrop, using NSRDEC's Drop Tower
CHEMICAL and MATERIAL ANALYSIS LABORATORY
Capabilities include a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer with microscope and gas chromatograph (GC), a GC/mass spectrometer (GC-MS), GC systems with selective detectors, multi-pump liquid chromatograph (LC), a residual gas analyzer (RGA)/MS with flows down to 1 ml per minute, a thermo-mechanical analyzer; differential scanning calorimeter, a high-resolution thermo-gravimetric analyzer, and a dynamic mechanical analyzer.
CLOTHING and INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT FIGHTABILITY COURSE
This is an obstacle course that is designed to measure the effects of equipment on a Soldier's mobility, agility, and speed in a combat environment. The course includes nine outdoor obstacles and a two-story building with stairs, doorways, windows, and halls for evaluation of Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT). Each obstacle is equipped with electronic timing devices for measuring Soldier performance.
COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE LABORATORY
This laboratory conducts basic and applied human research studies to characterize cognitive performance as influenced by militarily-relevant contextual and physical stressors. It includes seated computerized testing stations, an immersive virtual reality system based on open source and leading video gaming technologies, and ambulatory eye-tracking.
COMBINED BIAXIAL TENSION AND SHEAR TEST FIXTURE
There are test fixtures for characterizing mechanical properties of a wide variety of materials, including fabrics, composites, elastomers, metals, biological tissues, and others. The fixtures enable more accurate determination of strength and stiffness properties for materials subjected to combined stress states such as biaxial tension and shear, which is important factor for materials used in inflatable structures. The fixtures accommodate a choice of independent or simultaneous application of in-plane shear and multi-axial loadings on a swatch of material. The resulting material properties enhance the fidelity of structural models used as efficient alternatives to expensive full-scale structural tests.
COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN (CAD) and RAPID PROTOTYPING LABORATORY
DESIGN, ENGINEERING and FABRICATION CENTER
DESIGN, PATTERN, AND PROTOTYPE FACILITY
Lab Reps:
Nati-Amsrd-Nsc-Ad-B
In this facility, NSRDEC designs and develops dress and combat clothing and equipment items and fabricates end item clothing prototypes such as ballistic and chemical protection. These prototypes allow for initial fit/wear tests and assist in the preparation of technical data packages for large-scale procurement. The CAD apparel design system allows for pattern input, lifetime storage, graded sizing, updates, and modifications. These patterns can be sent electronically directly to the contractor or printed on plotter paper, oak tag, or on CD.
DORIOT CLIMATIC CHAMBERS
The Doriot Climatic Chambers reproduce environmental conditions occurring anywhere around the world. They provide an invaluable service by significantly reducing the need to conduct actual field testing. In fact, critical human and equipment testing often require very controlled conditions that cannot be achieved in the field, or anywhere else. The Chambers can simulate temperature, humidity, wind, rainfall, and solar radiation. These conditions can be set up separately or run concurrently. The size and configuration of the chambers provide great flexibility. The dual chambers allow for simultaneous testing in both tropic and arctic environments: Two 10' H × 15' W × 60' L wind tunnels make it ideal for testing large equipment. Tents, heaters, parachutes, airbeams, medical devices, and windmills have all been tested in the wind tunnels. The Tropic Wind Tunnel has the ability to create temperatures ranging from 0° F to 165° F with 10 to 90% relative humidity. Rain can be simulated at up to 4" per hr with wind up to 40 mph. Solar load can be simulated with a system consisting of six rows of 250-W light bulbs. The Arctic Wind Tunnel has the ability to create temperatures ranging from -70° F to +120° F with 10 to 90% relative humidity. Rain can also be simulated at rates up to 4" per hr with wind speeds reaching up to 40 mph. The desired conditions of temperature with wind and relative humidity are constantly controlled to within plus or minus 1° F. Two five-person treadmills can run up to 15 mph at a 12% grade in each wind tunnel. There is an external observation area to watch and monitor the testing within the chamber. An in-house kitchen can be used to prepare meals for Soldiers testing or to assess the effects of nutrition on physical performance. The Chambers also contain a dormitory for sleep studies and dressing rooms with showers and laundering facilities.
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Facilities and Equipment brochure
This booklet is provided to industry, academia and
government agencies to show the testing facilities and
capabilities that can be made available for use on a
fee-for-service basis.
If you require the use of facilities and associated testing
services for your testing requirements we may be able
to assist with those needs.
P l e a s e c a l l u s a t ( 5 0 8 ) 2 3 3 - 4 1 8 4 f o r mo r e
information.
Lab Representatives