Three Department of Defense technologies selected for transitioning to Response Community

COLLEGE STATION — From protecting our military abroad to our first responders at home, three technologies will be transitioning from Defense to Response (D2R) over the next nine months. The winning technologies from the 12 finalists in the TEEX Defense to Response (D2R) Technology Showcase were Sonar EMILY by Hydronalix, Project Diligence by PhaseSpace and No-contact shield by Protect the Force.

D2R is the technology transition program congressionally mandated to identify, evaluate, deploy and transfer Department of Defense (DoD) technology and equipment to federal, state and local responders. D2R is sponsored by the Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative (DPSI), in the Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security.
D2R specifically targets emerging technologies that can provide solutions for our nation’s first responders. The 2018 Call for Solutions generated more than 20 technologies with DoD origins offering the opportunity to enhance public safety and homeland security. After two rounds of judging, the top 12 finalists were invited to the D2R Technology Showcase in College Station last fall. Companies traveled from across the country to meet with 18 subject matter experts (SMEs) from fire, law, urban search & rescue, and public works before pitching their technology to a final group of judges. After a full day of technology presentations, the 2018 D2R winners were:

Sonar EMILY by Hydronalix — a remote-controlled rescue tool designed for flash-flooding and swift water rescue. EMILY can be equipped with a life jacket, helmet, and a sonar.
Project Diligence by PhaseSpace — an enhanced virtual reality training tool that incorporates motion-capture cameras and head-mounted displays for immersive training scenarios.
No-contact shield by Protect the Force — a personal force field for officer protection using an e-taser fabric.

The nine-month program is operated by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and utilizes market intelligence, primarily based on first responder focus groups, to develop operational testing scenarios. The tests for the selected technologies will be performed in the first quarter of 2019, and all technologies in the D2R program will graduate with a TEEX TESTED? protocol that provides third-party validation for first responders to confidently move forward with adoption. The ultimate goal of the D2R program is for technologies to have department adoption and/or strong sales leads by summer 2019. The services will be provided through a three-year contract from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative (DPSI).

About the Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative

In the Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security, Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative’s (DPSI) congressionally mandated mission is to identify, evaluate, deploy and transfer DoD technology and equipment to federal, state and local responders. Through this Initiative, the DoD fulfills Congress’ intent to support public safety and homeland security by leveraging taxpayer investments in defense technology and equipment. The goal is to protect and secure the homeland by sharing expertise, equipment, and technology, as appropriate, across military and civilian boundaries. Partnerships and communication between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and first responders are critical for success in this important mission.

About the TEEX Product Development Center

The Product Development Center (PDC), a center within the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), helps manufacturers, product developers, inventors, entrepreneurs, and businesses move products from an idea or concept to the global marketplace. The Center serves as a gateway to the engineering expertise, experienced market analysts, laboratories, and real-world facilities of The Texas A&M University System to ensure a product or technology stays on the path to commercialization. Using the proven process of THINK | BUILD | SELL, the PDC helps companies develop methodologies, recruit subject-matter experts, assess partnerships, and test and evaluate their products. The Center also offers TEEX TESTED, an unbiased, third-party testing and validation that a technology performs reliably in real-world conditions. Learn more at teexpdc.com.

For More Information:

Defense to Response Point of Contact: Caleb W. Holt, [email protected], 806-241-7693
TEEX Emergency Service Training Institute Point of Contact: Casey Richardson, [email protected], 979-458-2819