Effects of Body Armor Design on Upper Body Range of Motion

Abstract

Body armor for law enforcement personnel is critical in ensuring the safety and protection of these individuals, though literature on the impact of body armor design on task performance is not readily available in the public domain. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of body armor design on range of motion for the shoulder, neck, and back. Three armor configurations (no armor (Baseline), concealable body armor (CBA), and external body armor (EBA)) were studied. Results indicated that for most measurements, the EBA condition resulted in significantly lower ranges of motion that the other configurations and most measurements were similar between the baseline and CBA condition. Specific differences in the body armor designs (e.g., the presence of shoulder protectors) may be responsible for many of these findings. Therefore, changes to current armor designs should carefully consider the impacts of additional coverage elements on human movement.

Armours for soft bodies: how far can bioinspiration take us?

“…To achieve maximum protection, the rhinoceros dermis becomes almost solid with heavy crosslinking between collagen fibres. This type of protection would add tremendous aerobic and heat strain to end users which has been shown to dramatically reduce soldier effectiveness [62][63][64]. Therefore, new types of construction are necessary to lend additional protection to soldiers while remaining functional.…”