ARL engineers create third arm to stabilize, distribute weapon load
NewsMay 30, 2018
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) engineers created a third arm for the warfighter in order to stabilize a soldier's weapon.
Mechanical engineer Dan Baechle carefully planned out a device that doesn't need batteries, is lightweight, and can evenly distribute the load of a heavy weapon. In 2017, the lab conducted a small pilot study of active-duty troops using Third Arm in live-fire trials. The results showed the device can improve marksmanship, reduce arm fatigue, and muscle activation for some soldiers.
"We've actually tested it with the M249 and M240B machines guns. The M240B weighs 27 pounds, and we were able to show that you can take the weight of that weapon completely off of the Soldiers' arms," Baechle says.
Soldiers can also use this device in the prone position. "Right now it's a prototype device, and it's a fairly early stage prototype device," Baechle explains. "It's been getting a lot of interest higher up in the Army, but also online with some of the stories that have come out. We're using some of the interest to help motivate further development of the device."
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U.S. Army photo by Conrad Johnson[/caption]
The creation of this device falls under the Army Modernization Priorities, according to Baechle. "It falls in line with the direction that the Army wants to be heading in the future," he adds. "We get comments from soldiers who tell us different things about the way it feels on their body...about the way it redistributes the load. Some like it, some give us tips about the ways it could be improved, and we're using that input to improve the device and improve the design so that it not only works well, but it also feels good.
"What we have right now is a very specific device, but we can learn from that device," he explains. "I hope in the future what we'll end up with is something that will help the Soldier. Whether or not it's in the form you see today, that's less important. Helping the Soldier is what I really hope for. I think this year is really going to be a good one and an important one in showing what this device can do."
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