Blast Exposure Accelerated Sensor Transfer (BEAST)
Abstract
The Blast Exposure Accelerated Sensor Transfer (BEAST) program is a follow-on program to the Blast Gauge program. Blast-related injuries have emerged as the signature wounds of recent conflicts. To better understand the level of blast exposure received by warfighters, which is critical for developing and providing better treatment, low-cost personal sensors to record such critical signatures as blast overpressure had to be developed. DARPA rapidly developed and fielded the Blast Gauge to better understand the combat exposures responsible for these injuries by properly capturing relevant data at the time of injury. The gauges have been effective at capturing such events during operations in Afghanistan, achieving a number of milestones from the first recording during an IED attack to the first use of sensor data in medical evaluation of a service member with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Unexpectedly, gauge recordings have shown that potentially hazardous exposures may also occur in noncombat situations. Typically these happen during training using weapon systems. As the Blast Gauge is being deployed, military services require additional tools to begin properly using the device. The Blast Exposure Accelerated Sensor Transfer (BEAST) program is a 1-year effort to provide additional tools for users and complete transition to military service sustainment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Source ID
- fb23b6c244df03bff1c420f47798ba54