22 Projects For Soldiers Chosen For The Bootstrap NSRDEC Program

NATICK, MA—The Bootstrap Initiative launched by the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center four years ago is a way to give a shot to civilian employees to submit proposals for the funding, research and more for inventions that could benefit the military.

According to a recent announcement by NSRDEC, Dr. Ken Desabrais, previously an NSRDEC research aerospace engineer and now NSRDEC's human protections administrator, conceived the Bootstrap Initiative. It was implemented to encourage innovation and creativity while streamlining processes and minimizing bureaucracy.

NSRDEC's research focuses on developing cutting-edge food, expeditionary maneuver support, clothing and airdrop technologies and products to optimize warfighter performance and lethality.

Employee voters picked 22 projects for funding this year. One of the proposals chosen with the development of a personnel parachute canopy release. Mechanical Engineer Kevin Connolly said that as part of the effort to reduce the soldier's load, "all hardware components of the parachute harness are being looked at as possible areas of weight reduction, with the canopy release assembly, or CRA, being one of these hardware components" in a statement.

The idea "Hot Hands, Toasty Toes-Keeping the Extremities Warm" was another chosen idea for the Bootstrap program. It aims to heat the extremities of the solder with zero power consumption.

Read more about the program and the ideas here.

Photo via Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center