SRI’s Poulter Laboratory, established in 1953, combines experimental and computational capabilities to develop novel solutions related to counter-terrorism, mine neutralization, target breaching, hydrogen safety, directed energy effects, and a variety of defense problems.

SRI's privately owned test site contains specialized facilities such as a shock tube for explosive airblast simulation, a large water pool for underwater explosion experiments, and a gas-propelled-projectile launch facility for impact studies.

Poulter Laboratory has developed many unique scale-model experimental techniques to evaluate the response of structures to severe dynamic loading, thus providing a significant cost savings in comparison to full-scale testing. The laboratory also develops tailored explosive systems for reducing collateral damage, such as SRI's patented Dilute Explosive Tile (DET) technology.