Pvilion Awarded $1.5 Million USAF Phase II SBIR Contract for Autonomously Deployable Structures
Ohio Pen/10070610

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - OhioPen -- Pvilion, a market leader in fabric structure technologies, including robotics and solar cell integration, has been awarded a Phase II, $1.5 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the United State Air Force (USAF) Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) to deliver its rapidly deployable, flexible Hands-Off Expeditionary Tent, known by the acronym HEXT.

The RSO was created to increase mission readiness by rapidly identifying, applying, and scaling technology essential to the operation and sustainment of the United States Air Force. It encourages entrepreneurs, innovators and small businesses to create transformative opportunities by fostering a culture of innovation. The goal is to find solutions to the challenges the USAF faces through partnerships with private sector business entities.

HEXT, a rapidly deployable shelter system with defense, industrial and civilian applications, has been developed and prototyped by Pvilion for the USAF in support of additive manufacturing, space operations, and expeditionary forces. Pvilion overcomes the limitations of traditional product offerings, which can be difficult to erect, power and disassemble, and can prove dangerous when time is of the essence.

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Pvilion's advanced design reduces the labor and manpower required to erect and dismantle buildings, tents, and other structural systems for austere and remote environments. The structure can be entirely deployed without human intervention in less than a minute. Where competitors' structures require large labor forces and extended periods of time to erect, the Pvilion structural system requires less resources to erect, saving time and reducing costs. Pvilion allows for increased focus on accomplishing the mission by reducing the time spent on logistics and setup.

Retired USAF Brigadier General Carl Buhler says, "Pvilion's team has successfully designed, engineered, and fabricated a prototype that shows the feasibility of HEXT in support of our military." Gen. Buhler, a Pvilion team member, believes Pvilion's unique design will be sought after due to its lightweight, fully integrated compact frame, and its proprietary folding and unfolding system, which are all enabled by a touch of a button. "During deployments, home-station operations, or humanitarian missions" Buhler says, "the Pvilion HEXT system will let our military operate more efficiently and effectively. Pvilion structures will help enable time-sensitive missions."

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Pvilion will deliver its highly mobile, rapidly assembled Autonomous Structure system, HEXT, to both US Air Force and US Space Force units.

In addition to HEXT, Pvilion has been providing Autonomous Structure prototypes to the fields of government and to commercial markets. Targeted Air Force end-users and customers include Air Force Operations Wings, Groups, and Squadrons, Combat Communications Groups, USAF Contingency Response Forces, Joint and DOD Agencies and Agile Combat Employment.

For more information on HEXT and on Pvilion's other Deployable Autonomous Structures, visit www.pvilion.com.