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Background
Protecting the human body against injury dates as far back as recorded
history, when ancient warriors wore bronze, copper and iron breastplates during battle. Today, for the army, police officers, security personnel and those that
compete in the world of sport, the use of equipment to protect the body is almost commonplace. From sports shin pads and ballistic vests to thorn-proof gardening gloves, wearers rely on body armour to protect them against severe
injury, and at the same time require it to be lightweight and comfortable to wear.
The Romans used three main types of body armour: mail, scale and segmental. All body armour would have been worn over a padded arming doublet.
Mail was normally made of iron rings, each riveted one interlinked with four other punched or welded rings. In the early imperial period, the wearer's shoulders were reinforced with 'doubling' which was fastened across the chest. Used throughout the Roman period.
Scale armour was made of small plates of iron or copper alloy wired to their neighbours horizontally and sewn to a fabric or leather backing. In the 2nd century A.D., a new form of semi-rigid cuirass was introduced where each scale was wired to its vertical, as well as horizontal, neighbours. Similarly used throughout the Roman period.
Segmental armour consisted of overlapping curved bands or iron fastened to internal leather straps. Used from the 1st to 3rd centuries A.D.
Protective Equipment from a Design Perspective
The range of incidents that can cause injury is immense, and while there are
various body armour solutions for particular problems, the issues of impact, man-made protection versus natural body protection, and damage to vital organs are often not looked at in an integrated manner when designing equipment for body protection. Key questions must be answered as part of this design process. What is it important to guard against - impact velocity, mass, force, impulse, energy, or momentum? Which of these factors is attenuated most on passage through a protective layer, and do different protector designs/materials do this to different degrees? The ability to stop a bullet or knife blade may decide
success in some applications, but what of blunt trauma, such as being hit on the shin? How good is the body’s own protective system?
Protective Equipment from Technological Perspective
From a technological viewpoint, body armour is now well developed, with a
variety of competing materials systems and manufacturers, all offering good all-round solutions. The current challenge is to engineer a better balance of
properties to improve ergonomics and the integration with other equipment and clothing. The military market is relatively mature and its main challenge is to
increase the level of protection and coverage while keeping weight low. The police and other civilian markets, such as public transport workers, cab drivers
and ambulance paramedic crews, are relatively less mature with significant challenges in providing wearable and often discreet systems for everyday use.
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