Menu
Today, it is hard to imagine that even the body armor and helmet used in sports or by the police forces are developed at incredible rates. These improvements are not only benefitted the military personals and police but civil uses are also getting advanced. Learning more and more of the current advancements in this sector would be interesting and even encouraging especially with people who rely on such equipments for protection.
In the latter part of this article, it is described how body armor evolved from armor for the horse to armor for the rider, then to infantry, and finally to tanks.
Technological advancements in the present world have led to greatness from the bulky iron clad suits seen on the knights in the medieval society. Today’s body armor is, therefore, soft, lightweight, and very efficient in protection against weapons and fragments. Kevlar is the most universal core material which is used in most of body armors available today, it is a synthetic fiber characterized by great tensile strength to weight ratio. It means that the bullets can be stopped due to their ability of the kevlar fabric to absorb and dissipate the bullets’ energy thus diminishing the likelihood of someone getting injured.
However, Kevlar is just the beginning There are far more developments in this field waiting to be uncovered. The invention of other synthetic fibers further improved the material properties such as strength and durability in production of ropes and lines; these include dyneema and twaron. These materials gradually form intricate patterns so as to yield the maximum degree of protection along with the least added weight.
Measuring the personal protective gear works by the efficiency of stopping bullets and is rated according to some classes. These levels are established by organizations like the National Institute of Justice and they have standard numbering. For example, Level two armor is effective with most handgun bullets while Level three and four armors effectively halt high velocity rifle bullets.
There is also new-generation ceramic and polyethylene plates that are inlaid in vests to enhance protection levels. These plates function by breaking into small pieces on contact in order to mitigate forces exerted by a bullet and its penetration ability.
This is where the idea of modern riot armor is a little different from the old school concept of a vest that only has the capability to stop bullets. THREAD is typical to wear to protect against different kinds of dangers, such as stabs and impacts. These vests are compounded with various kinds of fabrics where we have ballistic material of Kevlar and additional layers for knife cutting.
Such innovations include the development of liquid armor, which can be quite interesting to embrace. Liquid armour contains a rapidly growing solidifying agent commonly referred to as a shear-thickening fluid that gives the liquid its flexibility but hardens when impacted. This technology leads to improved and far from rejecting the protection that is still necessary body armor, more convenient and less burdensome.
Helmets: but it truly Is more than just headgear
Indeed, as with any safety gear, helmets have come a long way and are presently enhanced versions of previous ones. While the military helmets used during World War II to aid warriors are no longer present in the contemporary models with massive influences of the Kevlar and the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). These materials also have the added advantage of offering high levels of ballistic protection while at the same time offering reasonable weight and comfort.
Current helmets are not limited to mere ballistic protection; they can also shield the head from the blast waves resulting from explosions. The interior of these helmets may have padding that helps to prevent head injuries like the ones caused by KO punches during a fight.
Sensors and smart technology are playing a more significant role in many aspects of life spanning in all facets of life ranging from homes, businesses, industries to social interactions and administrative processes.
Introducing intelligent technology is, perhaps, one of the most riveting developments in modern body armor and helmets. Wearable Medical Devices built in the armor can include monitoring systems for heart rate, body temperature, signs of wounds and possible danger signals for the doctors on the field. This type of a technology is especially useful in military and police forces where minute difference between life and death can be accounted by an immediate medical response.
Smart helmets with AR display can be very useful for soldiers and officers in the form of heads-up display which displays relevant details of the environment in real-time. They can also include communication equipment where planning and sharing of information is done as per the operations.
It signifies the general personal protection though, the name suggests otherwise through establishing a network that links people involved in personal protection activities and offering services such as personal bodyguard dispatch and more.
The future for new advanced body armor and helmets still looks promising due to the ongoing research that is being done with an aim to enhancing the functioning and effectiveness of these protective gears. Among them some of the primary designing areas are as follows Soldiers’ exoskeletons that can be used with a body armor to give more power to the wearer, and prevent fatigue.
An element of Future personal protection is also affected by Nanotechnology. More innovation has shown that it is possible to develop new armor that is considerably lighter but more rigid by using nanomaterials. These may possibly provide better safety against different threats and at the same time, more comfortable to wear than the pros featured above.
The basics of using body armor and helmets also undergo changes, all in an effort of trying to protect those who risk it all. But as far as the innovations ever seen in this field ranging from the rigid fabric materials such as Kevlar to the smart technology that enables enhancing ones awareness to the surrounding environment, then one would marvel at the results. With research continuing, there is reason to believe that the progress that has been made in the domain of personal protective equipment will continue and that new, even more groundbreaking, solutions will be developed in the future aimed at further increasing safety and efficiency of protection. From the components of military and law enforcement to the body armor used by civilian security personnel, there is much hope for the future of helmets and helmets.
CONTACT DETAILS