The CBplus Man System was commissioned by Defence Research and Development Canada. A second version of the mannequin system was manufactured and commissioned following a request from DST Group Australia. The system consists of a mannequin and an upper body head-form for the testing of chemical and biological protective suits and head gear.
The mannequin is a full size, articulated, carbon composite body form manufactured to exact anthropometric data. It is light weight, chemically resistant, and capable of performing a list of specified movement protocols. The only means of support are at the hands, face and feet which are strapped into bindings on footplates.
The mannequin is mounted into an external drive frame. The feet drive frame supports the external actuator, which provides 10 axes of motion. Two light weight actuators are internally mounted in the mannequin to produce sympathetic head motions. The system can perform test sequences comprising of any combination of 10 pre-programmed moves for periods of up to six hours in chemically harsh environments.
Also included in the mannequin system is an interchangeable carbon composite upper body head-form, designed to run as a portable stand-alone system for use in smaller test chambers and temporary environmental analysis tents, This is constructed to the same exacting dimensions as the mannequin and is directly interchangeable in the drive frame. This upper body head-form is supported at the base of the head rather than the face. The system provides the user with full computer- controlled head articulation which can be combined with arm actions driven by the frame.
Both the upper body head-form and mannequin have a soft, chemically resistant elastomer skin at garment locus points, covering the entire head and neck, wrists and waist in the mannequin. The material was specifically developed by i-bodi for this application. In addition, low cost, highly flexible, disposable silicone skins were also developed as an alternative, depending upon test requirements. The mannequin and upper body head-form house dosimeter holders to collect the data necessary to evaluate the integrity of the test garments.
