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Mantis Gear

Key Problem to Solve

Derrick wanted to reduce muscle fatigue and improve operator readiness during a combat situation by developing a sling system that was ambidextrous and fit onto any chest protector-style body armor system. The system needed to carry and hold a long-barrel style firearm in a series of different positions, adjustable to the operator’s preference.

Derrick had a working prototype when he came to Kickr that he developed himself. His prototype did not have the waterproof or adjustable features of his desired design. Additionally, he wanted a simple, off-the-shelf mechanism to connect his rig to a firearm compared to his existing design. Lastly, Derrick wanted something that looked production-ready with an aim of moving to manufacturing.

Challenges

An updated version of his existing design that was adjustable, ambidextrous, waterproof, and leveraged off-the-shelf components.

  1. Off-the-shelf component selection of a US-based vendor for his tension reel component.
  2. Waterproofing the tension reel design while keeping the system adjustable for various operator demographics.
  3. Integrating a mechanism that was easy to adjust the“rest” position of the firearm with off-the-shelf components. The mechanism had to be easy to find when in stressful situations but discrete as well (non-reflective, for example).
  4. A system that was easy to move out of the way if the operator was injured and needed medical treatment in the field.
  5. Mounting features that were agnostic to the type of chest-plate style body armor vest an operator used.

The Solution

An overview of the steps of the project and what we did for the client.

Derrick has demonstrated at several tradeshows and has gotten tremendous interest from potential buyers and licenses.