Perceptronics Anticipates $4-Million Defense Job

Perceptronics said it expects to receive a Defense Department contract that could provide the company with up to $4 million over two years.

The Woodland Hills firm makes simulators used by troops who operate tanks, armored vehicles and helicopters. The anticipated contract would call for Perceptronics to simulate the extent of injuries that tank operators face when their vehicles are hit by enemy fire.

The company plans to produce a set of “humanly shaped, articulated mannequins” that would be fitted with sensors to record trauma and other injuries. The mannequins would be placed in tanks and other armored vehicles, which would then be hit by actual shells and missiles. The sensors would later be evaluated by computers to determine the “injuries” involved.

The program “will lead to improved crew protection through the design of more effective armor systems,” Perceptronics Chairman Gershon Weltman said in a statement.