A prototype radar system was developed by engineers at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to detect an oncoming bullet and trigger an airbag with a bullet-proof coating. The application for this system is to protect a speaker at a podium.

The prototype successfully blocks a 9-mm round fired from a handgun, and recent technological advances are making the interception of a rifle shot possible.

image of IPPS prototype demonstration

IPPS prototype demonstration

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The video above shows the airbag inflating and intercepting a 9-mm round. The radar triggering the airbag was a bi-static, CW Doppler radar operating at X band.

For more information about instantaneous personal protection system capabilities at SwRI or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Tom Untermeyer at tuntermeyer@swri.org or (210) 522-5040. We can offer you the best approach for your instantaneous personal protection system solutions.

Contact Information

Tom Untermeyer

Communications and Embedded Systems

(210) 522-5040

tuntermeyer@swri.org

Related Terminology

communication devices

communication networks

radar systems

communication systems

RF systems

radio frequency engineering

RF engineering

analysis

specification development

circuit design

fabrication

consulting

COTS integration

custom instruments

test systems

prototype development

modeling

simulation

reverse engineering

replacement engineering

communications engineering

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Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a multidisciplinary, independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 11 technical divisions.

June 18, 2009