Mobility and Human Factors Evaluation of Three Prototype Assault Snowshoes.

• Main Authors: , Charles A., Hanlon, William E., Oblak, Thomas H.
• Other Authors: ARMY RESEARCH LAB ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND MD
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1994
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Logistics; Military Facilities and Supplies; *TEST AND EVALUATION; *ARMY PERSONNEL; *ARMY RESEARCH LABORATORIES; *SNOWSHOES; MOBILITY; HUMANS; TEST EQUIPMENT; STANDARDS; COLD WEATHER TESTS; BOOTS; ARMY; LABORATORIES; ENGINEERING; HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING; ASSAULT; MARINE CORPS; ARMY RESEARCH; PE62716A; ASH70; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA278151; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA278151

The Human Research and Engineering Directorate (HRED) of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) conducted a mobility and human factors evaluation of candidate assault snowshoes for the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command from 15 through 20 February 1993. This evaluation compared the performance and attitudes of marine subjects using the standard military snowshoe and three candidate assault snowshoes. The performance data consisted of timed trials for negotiating an assault course, getting into and out of the prone firing position, donning, and doffing. Marines subjectively rated the snowshoes at various times throughout the evaluation. The results indicated that marines negotiated the assault course and got into and out of the prone firing position significantly faster and with more ease with the candidate assault snowshoes than when using the standard military snowshoe. The results also showed that marines could don Snowshoe C faster than the other snowshoes and that none of the snowshoes were difficult to remove. Marines subjectively rated the candidate assault snowshoes higher than the standard snowshoe for most characteristics and features. Subjective data also indicated that Snowshoe A was the most preferred candidate snowshoe. None of the candidate snowshoes evaluated are acceptable for military usage without implementing some design changes to correct the shortcomings noted in this report. Assault snowshoes, Mobility, Human factors, Snowshoes.