Canada’s National Research Laboratory (NRC) has developed a new seat cushion that mitigates the effects of vibration on helicopter crews. Repeated whole-body vibration can have serious health and safety effects on crews, including fatigue, back pain, neck strain and, in extreme cases, permanent disability.
Canada’s Department of National Defence has been working in this broad area for more than 10 years, led by the Directorate of Technical Airworthiness and Engineering Support (DTAES-DND), which selected the NRC to undertake a research and technology development project. The new cushion is the outcome of that project.
It integrates traditional foam with energy-absorbing materials in a hexagonal cell pattern that interconnects with air vents to dissipate vibration energy. The cushion meets full airworthiness and crashworthiness requirements.
Testing has been performed in NRC’s human-rated shaker device before flight tests in NRC’s Bell 412 testbed. It is intended that the new cushion is installed in the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CH-146 Griffon (Bell 412) fleet. NRC has also signed an agreement with Hawkesbury, Ontario-based Dart Aerospace to transfer the technology for commercial helicopter applications.