Human-Based Study to Characterize the Biomechanical, Physiological and Comfort Impact of Alternative Torso-Borne Loads and Load Distributions

Torso-borne protective clothing and load carrying equipment (ie. bulletproof vests) is fundamental to the safety of Canadian Armed Forces personnel. To make informed decisions on purchasing and developing new equipment, a suite of mannequin-based tools was developed by Defense Research and Development Canada. They are developing a female model to reflect the Canadian Armed Forces’ goal to increase diversity within its ranks, particularly with the representation of women. HumanSystems® Incorporated has been contracted to complete human testing to help validate the new tools. The intern will collect kinematic data from female participants conducting a series of tasks commonly performed in the Canadian Army. These tasks will be completed while wearing a vest, manipulated to simulate different loads and arrangements of torso-borne equipment worn by soldiers. The data will be used to determine the forces and moments on the spine as a crucial step to validating the new system.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michele Oliver

Student:

Rebecca Wendland

Partner:

Human Systems Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Guelph