Wolf Technical Services, Inc. receives $100,000 for research and development of troop seating

PRLog (Press Release) – May 30, 2008 – Wolf Technical Services, Inc. announced that it has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract for a new project.

The U.S. Air Force has asked Wolf to improve the safety of its troop seating by developing innovative energy- absorbing technology to help protect troops in a crash situation.  The contract provides approximately $100,000 in research and development funds for a Phase I development effort. If early results show potential, Wolf could receive an additional $750,000 in Phase II funding.

This is one of multiple Phase I SBIR contracts Wolf has been awarded in the last three years with the assistance of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Through its grant-matching programs, IEDC has enabled Wolf to compete with larger companies located throughout the nation.

“IEDC support has helped us to create new jobs,” said Joe Ward, Vice President of Business Development. “For a small company, that has had profound positive affects,” he said.  

“We have spent years developing energy-absorbing technology for aircrew protection applications and this program is a natural extension of that work,” said Stuart Nightenhelser, Wolf’s Vice President of Advanced Programs. “Our seating technology represents a marked improvement in the safety of our nation’s airmen.”

In another project, Wolf plans to perform flight-testing of its Universal Mobile Aircrew Restraint System (UMARS) in conjunction with the Air Force this summer. The UMARS is used to restrain the crews of military helicopters and transport planes while allowing crew members to move freely within an aircraft cabin. The system uses a tether strap attached to a damping system to control the rate at which webbing is released during a violent maneuver or crash.

Wolf Technical Services, Inc. has been a leader in forensic engineering and research for more than 30 years and created its Research & Development Division several years ago.

For more information about Wolf, please visit us on the Internet at www.wolftechnical.com.