The US Army Research Development Engineering Command, Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center (NSRDEC), is conducting a market survey for technical and product information that will provide automation, semi-automation and/or assistive technologies/devices/aids/etc. to reduce the touch labor and time associated with shakeout, inspections, and/or packing, storing and/or issuing/turn-in of DoD personnel parachutes. Feedback from responders will be shared with approximately 100 DoD aerial delivery (AD) subject matter experts (SMEs) who will all be reviewing and summarizing the inputs to inform leadership on potential cost effective future investment decisions. Personnel systems are jumped and re-packed at a rate of 10,000/month at Fort Bragg (the T-11 Parachute System). To avoid the costs and lag time involved with packer training/certification, support surge turnaround times, and to explore cost effective methods of reducing current man-hours and ensure measurable consistent packing quality, the NSRDEC with numerous DoD AD SMEs is seeking technologies/capabilities which can result in cost effective automation or semi-automation in personnel parachute shakeout systems, inspection systems/capabilities (for detection of snags, tears, burns etc.), parachute packing systems/capabilities, and advanced material handling technologies/systems. A system that combines riggers/personnel with automation is acceptable and expected. Responses from vendors who have expertise in one or some (but not all) of these areas are encouraged to respond. Focus area to start, would be the 11th Quartermaster Company facility located at Fort Bragg, NC. Personnel parachute automation technologies/capabilities being sought include at least the following: -Ability to rapidly auto-shakeout a manually hung and untangled personnel parachute. (Threshold: T-11, Objective: MC-6, T-11R) - Ability to auto inspect a personnel parachute canopy, suspension lines and other components with minimal touch labor. (Threshold: T-11, Objective: MC-6, T-11R). - Capabilities to efficiently move personnel parachute systems in various stages of the process via autonomous transport systems throughout the rigger facility to speed up the throughput for military riggers/personnel. -Auto-packing personnel parachute capability that requires minimal touch labor and can auto-pack a personnel parachute within cost effective timelines compared to the current manual rate. (Threshold: T-11, Objective: MC-6, T-11R). - Capabilities to efficiently issue and receive personnel parachute systems before and after use at a local storage facility that identifies the users and tracks number of parachute systems issued and received with minimal touch labor. - All of the above to support a decrease in the number of man-hours currently utilized for same processes. Offerors with initial input that is deemed to have potential to meet all/some of the above needs could potentially be provided (A team of DoD AD SMEs will be making the decision on who is "deemed to have potential"): - More information on the current 11th QM Company building layout - Offered a tour of the facility at a government chosen date/time - Time averages that military personnel currently require to execute the current steps in the shakeout, inspection, packing and movement of personnel parachutes within the facility NSRDEC is seeking sources with similar technology capabilities and/or experience in automation, semi-automation and/or assistive technologies/devices/aids. Technical and product information for capabilities/products which could meet the DoD above requirements, or may meet requirements with modifications are desired. Proprietary information will not be disclosed outside of the U.S. government. All interested firms, regardless of size, are encouraged to respond to this Request for Information (RFI). Information on current processes will be made available to vendors who respond with viable capabilities to all/some of the above desired capabilities. This RFI is for planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a Request for Proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request or otherwise pay for information solicited. No awards will result from this request. Firms responding to this RFI shall bear all risk and expense of any resources used to provide the requested information, and all information submitted in response to this request shall become the property of the Government and will not be returned to the submitter. Respondents must submit their product brochures, technical data, or other information concerning performance and cost within 30 days of this publication. Responses may be sent via email to
[email protected]. No solicitation document exists at this time. This market survey is for information and planning purposes only. This is not an Invitation for Bid (IFB) or a Request for Proposal (RFP) and is not to be taken as a commitment by RDECOM-NSRDEC.