Evaluation of a Prototype Body-Borne Weapon Mount System During Live Fire

Abstract

The Third Arm (3ARM) body-borne weapon mount system was developed to mitigate upper extremity fatigue, aid in weapon stabilization, and improve marksmanship during live-fire engagements. Fourteen military servicemen completed three live-fire shooting scenarios (paced, prone, and lateral) with and without the 3ARM while measures of muscle activity, weapon movement, and shot timing, accuracy, and precision were collected. The paced target engagement scenario compared 3ARM to the Control condition during sustained live fire when engagement time is held constant. The prone scenario determined whether 3ARM would affect the users ability to transition between standing and prone firing positions to engage a target. The lateral target engagement scenario evaluated whether 3ARM affects target engagement times when slewing the weapon across the body. Paced trials revealed some mitigation of fatigue and preservation of muscular endurance with 3ARM as well as improved vertical control of the weapon. Shot timing was unaffected during the lateral trials; the prone trials revealed some loss of mobility with the 3ARM as evidenced by longer postural transition times. Small improvements in shot precision and accuracy were observed with the 3ARM for some shot scenarios. Generally, users felt that the 3ARM effectively alleviated some of the weight of the weapon and reduced fatigue development in the arms. Critiques revealed that 3ARM can impose back pain, possibly due to the asymmetry of its current design. Additionally, participants encouraged design improvements to better accommodate different firing postures and maneuverability. Recommendations are provided for both design improvements and possible alternative use cases for 3ARM.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2020
Accession Number
AD1119654

Entities

People

  • Andrew J. Tweedell
  • Courtney A. Haynes
  • Daniel M . Baechle
  • Frank Morelli

Organizations

  • United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Acquisition
  • Army Personnel
  • Body Armor
  • Body Regions
  • Carbon Fibers
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Data Analysis
  • Electromyography
  • Fibers
  • Frequency
  • Fungi
  • Inertial Measurement Units
  • Information Science
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Research
  • Musculoskeletal Physiology
  • Pain
  • Precision
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Statistical Tests
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Upper Extremity
  • Weapon Control

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Marksmanship and Weaponry.
  • Robotics and Automation.