FY 2020 Project Highlight

CB Hose 

TSgt Michael Cox 3d Wing 

Defueling external fuel and drop tanks on fighter aircraft pose a reoccurring air intrusion problem that breaks suction back to defuel vehicles. This is attributed to the current adaptor not reaching the bottom of the tanks because of the lack of structural support. Gravity then adds to this equation with fighters not being able to use on-board pump-out capabilities and it takes roughly 2.5 hours to perform one defuel. The C.B. Hose prototype was built to cut the defueling time in half and allow for proper suction. The C.B Hose will directly impact each Air Force base that has Fighter Aircraft such as F-22, F-15 and F-16s, whether home station or transient.

Arctic Spark took this project from just an idea to real life. It all started with the BMNT conference in Sept 2019. The team was provided contacts with different organizations such as Metals Tech and USARAK. The C.B. Hose quickly gained support throughout the wing, With the help of the Maintenance career field and the POL career field, this prototype led to being selected as 1 of 2 PACAF Spark Tank winners!

Shoebox 

SSgt Michael Shoemaker 673d MDG 

The Shoebox is a fully transparent patient isolation enclosure that is intended to significantly reduce medical team member's exposure to contagious disease/viruses. This device is made of a lightweight polycarbonate transparent plastic material and the back panel is arched, allowing for maximum protection, reducing aerosol exposure to the rest of the room. The angled front allows for the physician to clearly visualize the patient (free of corner/ledge obstruction) during procedures such as intubation. It features two neodymium magnetically held door panels, which can be easily removed to allow additional support team members to quickly access the treatment area. With the assistance of the JBER Innovation Lab, multiple functioning prototypes were built in only three weeks. These units have been utilized in the field for COVID-19 response, deploying to Guam to assist the USS Theodore Roosevelt. This device is on standby at the JBER medical facility and available to support base and local civilian medical treatment facilities. 

Ursus 

Capt Jamey Shuls, 773 LRS 

URSUS, the Mobility Machine of the 21st Century. This concept rethinks the three modules of the installation deployment process: Individual Protective Equipment (IPE), Cargo Deployment Function (CDF), and Personnel Deployment Function (PDF). The primary goal of the application is to return time back to Commander's and Airmen. The CDF would deliver digital documents, real-time communication between the Deployment Control Center and user, and so much more. The PDF would link reporting instructions to out-processing checklists, driving towards the one checklist concept. Additionally, it would establish a kiosk check-in function at execution which allows members to scan their CAC card for manifesting, significantly reducing processing time. Finally, the IPE module establishes a digital store for mobility gear and utilizes Airmen profiles to deliver an enterprise solution.

In July of 2020, AF/A4L provided $300K in funding to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with the IPE module. With that, the URSUS team is working directly with Air Force Research Lab and Technergetics to build out the MVP. The official kickoff for the project is 30 Oct 2020 and the contract will deliver on 30 May 2021.


Chem War Brigade 

SPARwerx 

With the help of 673rd LRS’ Innovations Lab, 95th Chemical Company saved over $17,000 in repairs to its Joint Biological Point Detection System (JBPDS) on 03 June 2020. After a 10 minute concept of design discussion leading to 11 minutes of effort, 95th’s SGT Alejandro Guzman (94F) worked diligently with the Arctic Spark team to fabricate a workable replacement for their JBPDS’s DC power switch.


F-22 Training Resources

MSgt Eric Macias- 372 TRS/Det 14  

The 372 TRS has a national defense-related mission needed in the area of Air Education and Training. Specifically, the instruction of F22 technical training. We believe that technology development under the STTR Phase II topic may eventually contribute to alleviating, mitigating, or solving our mission constraints. Through augmented reality the main goal of this project is to help students improve their long-term educational recall and duty performance. We expect this project's phase II, to be completed by December. It is behind schedule due to COVID-19 complications. 

The final course of action will be to submit for Phase III development approval through Airman Powered by Innovation on Idea scale where it will await review and eventually funding. The potential scale of this product is as a fleet wide and student training asset. Arctic Spark facilitated the original think-tank to eval the problem statement and design course of action. The ongoing support, coordination and tracking has been invaluable in the continued efforts of this project. 


C-17 Snowcover 

Maj. Gregory Oswald- 525 & TSgt Dashar Holloway- 703 AMXS 

The C-17 cannot have deicer sprayed directly on windshield or nose areas and requires hand scraping with safety/readiness implications. Efforts to resolve have been in pursuit of a cover fabricated by a local company that has a proprietary arctic fabric ideal for this application. A minimum viable product was created by a team of Airmen to demonstrate a feasible deployment and attachment plan. The team has been constrained by entanglement of funding for a AK National Guard asset owned by Active Duty functions. The final course of action has been to submit through Airman Powered by Innovation on Ideascale where it currently awaits review and hopeful funding. The potential scale of this product is as a fleet wide deployment asset for arctic climate to maintain readiness. Arctic Spark facilitated the original think-tank team to eval the problem statement and design course of action. They gained the equipment for the minimum viable product as well as assisted in the build. The ongoing support, coordination and tracking has been invaluable in the continued efforts of this project.