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IRVINE — UC Irvine professor Maria Feng has received a five-year contract from the U.S. Army worth up to $5.5 million to establish a research center that will help develop the next generation of protective armor for soldiers.

The facility, called the Center for Advanced Monitoring and Damage Inspection, will develop sensor technology and advanced analysis tools for detecting damage and assessing the integrity of protective armors. Knowledge gained from this research will aid the design of new, superior-performing armor.

Another objective of the center will be to develop a real-time monitor that would continuously check armor’s integrity and detect damage before its performance is compromised.

While the research will primarily focus on lightweight body armors and helmets worn by individual soldiers, the same technology also could be useful for tanks, helicopters and planes, which use similar protective materials.

Feng hopes the technology also will be applied to common construction materials, such as steel and concrete, where it could monitor the integrity and safety of bridges and other vital infrastructure.

“I want to take this research further to help solve some other important engineering challenges,” said Feng, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering.

The contract is funded through the Army Program Executive Office Soldier, which fosters development of new military equipment.

The center, located on the UCI campus, will benefit from state-of-the-art equipment developed through U.S. Army support, including a one-of-a-kind ultrasonic imaging system that already has been awarded.

“Partnerships with federal organizations like this contract with the U.S. Army allow The Henry Samueli School of Engineering to support faculty members like Professor Maria Feng in innovative research projects that will impact both individuals and society as a whole,” said Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos, dean of the Samueli School. “We are pleased to participate in this effort that will help advance military technology and infrastructure monitoring systems to improve personal and public safety.”

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