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Design and Fit of Body Armour

Mark Jaffrey PhDPhysical Ergonomics Group

Land Human Systems

Land Division

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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Tiered Body Armour S&T InputUNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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Tiered Body Armour S&T Input

PersonActive Protection

Dismounted Soldier Personal Survivability

Protection SystemPassive Protection

Body Armour Coverage

Ballistic Rating

Thermal Load

Physical Mobility

Trade-off: Active vs passive

protection

Sustainable work rate

Fit for Service Physical ergonomics, integration and use-ability

Anthropometry / Plate design

Physical Protection Group

Tier 1Tier 2 Tier 3

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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Introduction 

Qualitative coverage requirements exist (e.g. NIJ: "Stab Resistance of Personal Body Armor NIJ Standard‐0115.00 ", ed. Washington, DC, USA: U.S. Department of Justice, 

2000.)

But no quantitative population data is available

Body armour coverage requirements are not well defined

Image adapted; original version courtesy of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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23 male participants

Two MRI scanning modalities– Recumbent (Inspiration and Expiration)

– Upright

Methods: Participants & ImagingUNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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Effects of breathing

Breath Out Breath In

24mm30mm

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_resonance_imaging

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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Effects of posture

160 mm196 mm

Lying Sitting

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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Applications: Coverage analysis Essential structures in Upright Posture

Small plate: 8” x 10”

Large plate: 10” x 12”

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

NIJ lists  common dimensions of hard armour as:

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Applications: Probability Distributions (upright)

100%

91%

26%

13%

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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Currently assessing the feasibility of:

1. A Large Scale Survey

2. A Different Approach (upright & deep breath in)

Conventional MRI? Upright MRI? Ultrasound?

Future Research: Organ Mapping 

?

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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Future Research: Plate Size Acceptability

Human Factors/Ergonomic Assessment with Users:

‐ Plate width, length, shape

‐ Freedom of movement

‐ Task performance

‐ User rating

Controlled study:

‐ Not using whatever version of TBAS is in service

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release

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Concept Design & Prototyping:Body Armour Shape & Size

UNCLASSIFIED – Approved for Public Release