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Project
Investigation of the Effects of Increased Coverage Area for Soft Body Armor
Funded by National Institute of Justice


In Collaboration with:
Mississippi State University Police Department
Starkville Police Department
Lawrence Technological University
National Institute of Justice

PI: Kari Babski-Reeves
Team Members: Daniel Carruth, John McGinley, Chris Blackledge

Capabilities: IR Camera Motion Capture System, EMG Data Acquisition Systems

Description:

The goal of this project is to provide an objective evaluation of increased coverage area of soft body armor. This evaluation will be a collaborative, multi-phase effort with two objectives: Determine the areas that current body armor does not cover but, if covered, have the greatest potential to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities. Evaluate the effect of increased coverage area on task performance, including task completion time and firing accuracy.

Research Design and Methodology

The research design for this project will include a two-phase effort. The design and methodology for each phase is outlined below:


Phase I of this effort will include a database search of the IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors’ Club® database to determine the areas of coverage where officers are most likely sustaining gunshots and a survey of law enforcement agencies to determine the injuries that have occurred to personnel in areas where there was no body armor coverage. Statistical analysis of the results of both datasets will be conducted to determine which areas are most at-risk. Other variables (age, gender) will be evaluated to determine significance.


Phase II of this effort will include an ergonomic evaluation of volunteer law enforcement personnel while wearing various configurations of armor. This phase will include an initial five-subject pilot study to further refine the protocol. Based on the results of the pilot study, the full protocol will include three groups of subjects drawn from law enforcement personnel: female subjects, medium-sized male subjects, and large male subjects. Armor configurations will include a current armor design and an improved coverage design. The subjects will perform various tasks, including range of motion tests, simple and tactical movements, and weapons and equipment handling. Dependent variables of this evaluation will include task completion time, firing accuracy, and physiological parameters. IRB approval will be granted prior to initiating the pilot study.


This research has several implications for policy revision and practice, including adding an objective ergonomic evaluation to the 0101 Standard, information for vest and duty gear manufacturers to utilize when developing advanced designs of soft body armor and duty gear, and increasing the knowledge of the effects of increased coverage on task performance for armor selection. The findings of this effort will be disseminated using the following methods: a final report to the funding agency, presentation at a topic-appropriate conference, publication in a peer-reviewed journal, and an electronic communication disseminated by SACOP.