The Third Arm Weapon Interface System (TAWIS), or Third Arm, is a passive, stabilizing device developed by the
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
Research Laboratory (ARL) in 2016 to redistributes the weight of heavy
firearm
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions).
The first firearms originate ...
s to make them easier to hold and carry. It weighs less than 1.8 kg (4 pounds), and consists of a mechanical appendage made out of
carbon fiber
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...
composite that has one end attached to a carbon fiber plate that fits inside an armor plate pocket and the other end attached to a
Picatinny rail
The 1913 rail (MIL-STD-1913 rail) is an American rail integration system designed by Richard Swan that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It forms part of the NATO standard STANAG 2324 rail. It was originally used for mount ...
on top of the gun.
It was designed to permit more accurate use of heavier weapons and reduce fatigue by displacing the weight of the weapon from the arms to the torso, and to mitigate weapon recoil.
As of 2018, the Third Arm is a prototype and is still in the testing phase of its development.
History
The development of the Third Arm began in 2015 as a collaborative effort in ARL’s Human Research and Engineering Directorate (HRED) and Weapons & Research Materials Directorate (WMRD). The project was an attempt to improve the marksmanship of soldiers by finding ways that would make the use of heavier, more lethal firearms and larger bullets easier to manage.
The first prototype of was built in 2016 and first unveiled to the public in March 2017 at the
Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Huntsville, Alabama. A pilot study was conducted in summer 2017, where the prototype was tested with six soldiers who wore
electromyography
Electromyography (EMG) is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph to produce a record called an electromyogram. An electromyo ...
sensors that recorded muscle activity with and without the Third Arm. The results indicated that the device improved shooting accuracy and lessened muscle fatigue. A second prototype was constructed based on the soldiers’ feedback. Changes included the mounting location, the addition of an extendable hinge plate that adhered to different body types, and refinements to the design that made it easier for the wearer to dive into the
prone shooting position.
Applications
The Third Arm can be used to completely take off the weight of heavy firearms such as the 7.5 kg (17-pound)
M249 light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridge (firearms), cartridges of the same caliber as the othe ...
or the 12.5 kg (27.6-pound)
M240B general-purpose machine gun
A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an air-cooled, usually belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for light and medium machine guns. A GPMG typically features a quick-change barrel design calibered fo ...
from the holder’s arms.
By supporting the weapon’s weight, soldiers are capable of operating the firearm with one hand, leaving the other hand free for another task.
It can be used to carry a breaching saw or a
shield
A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...
instead of a firearm.
Testing has shown that the Third Arm provides immediate stabilization during movement, allowing for improved marksmanship.
See also
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Aliens (film)
''Aliens'' is a 1986 science fiction action film written and directed by James Cameron. It is the sequel to the 1979 science fiction horror film '' Alien'', and the second film in the ''Alien'' franchise. Set in the far future, it stars S ...
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Affusto d'assalto/bari mount
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Steadicam
Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. The Steadicam brand was acquired by Tiffen in 2000. It was designed to isolate the ...
, similar concept
*
Sling (firearms)
In the context of firearms, a sling is a type of strap or harness designed to allow a shooter to conveniently carry a firearm (usually a long gun such as a rifle, carbine, shotgun, submachine gun or GPMG) on their body, and/or to aid in greater ...
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Walking fire
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Weapon mount
A weapon mount is an assembly or mechanism used to hold a weapon (typically a gun) onto a platform in order for it to function at maximum capacity. Weapon mounts can be broken down into two categories: static mounts and non-static mounts.
Stati ...
References
{{reflist
External links
US10393476B2 - Third Arm Weapon Interface System (TAWIS)patent
CN112665462A - Wearable weapon arm device of formula of double shooting formula modepatent
Military technology
Firearm components
Robotic manipulation