The electronic helmet

Helmets are no longer just a bowl that protects your skull, or an inert mounting point for night vision devices, lights, strobes, and battery boxes. Ever since OPS-CORE developed its accessory rail mounts, helmets have been steadily turning into integrated head-borne systems with better positioning, balancing and functioning of the individual components.  All of this was good, but it still wasn't good enough. Individual components were still developed and added separately, and everything needed to be wired and connected externally.

With the RAILINK, OPS-CORE has taken integration it to the next level by putting the power and data electronics inside the rail. Accessory components have also miniaturized and developed to integrate seamlessly into the system. For example, the strobe on the RAILINK is from CORE SURVIVAL, but instead of one being mounted on top of the helmet, there is now a small pair of them, with one mounted on each side.

The RAILINK system is almost completely free of external wires, and OPS-CORE's active hearing protection system AMP integrates very nicely using swivel arms. In the photo below, you can also see how the flash light from SUREFIRE, also fits in nicely.

At the front, you can see the attachment for the protective visor, and bove it, the helmet light from PRINCETON TEC. In front of that, you can see the attachment point for the cable of the PVS-31 night vision device.

The Battery Pack+ unit that fastens to the back of the helmet enables the transfer of data and power across the system and includes a coulomb counter that delivers charge state information back to the user's VAS system.

A look inside the battery box shows how six standard 18650 batteries are used to provide the power - the system will take either primary or rechargeable 18650s.

In this video, OPS-CORE showcases the whole system. This whole setup is not only technically very interesting but also an extremely practical solution for units that need the full-spectrum situational awareness capabilities that this integrated head system can deliver.

Further information about the full suite of dismounted situational awareness solutions from OPS-CORE can be found here.