Section C
PRESENTATION AND JUSTIFICATION OF SOLUTION DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
III.1 Requirements
Design Requirements are organized by order of decreasing priority and are labeled according to whether or not they are disqualifying specifications.
A disqualifying specification means that any solution that does not fulfill the requirement will not be considered when deciding on the most viable solution concept. All of the disqualifying criteria have the highest priority because if the solution does not adhere to these specifications, it is not a valid solution to the core problem.
1. The solution will not hinder mobility any more than any current, similar vests.
Mobility is a key component of the user’s comfort and safety. If the solution severely impacts mobility, it will be significantly less comfortable and safe for the wearer, which contradicts our problem statement. In many combat situations, especially in urban environments, the user may need mobility over protection. It is important to accommodate for the user's needs without sacrificing protection.
2. The solution will distribute its weight across multiple parts of the body so that the shoulders do not solely support the weight of the solution.
One method to increase the comfort of the user of the solution is to distribute the weight of the ballistic vest more effectively. The implementation of this method would be an effective addition to making our solution more comfortable, even if the weight of the vest isn’t reduced directly. Weight distribution also helps reduce the risk of stress or strain on specific joints, as the weight will be distributed across multiple areas.
3. The solution will be flexible, meaning it will be able to bend to match the shape of a human torso.
This is a disqualifying specification, because the requirement makes the solution more comfortable to the user and is necessary for adequate coverage and protection, which supports other requirements listed.
Flexibility is essential for our solution as it is vital for users to be able to move. Officers, soldiers, and other users of body armor will be able to run, bend, sit, etc. without being restricted by the armor. In combat scenarios, especially in urban environments, maneuverability is essential, and a flexibility helps the user maintain maneuverability. Flexibility is necessary and even when not in hazardous situations as it would be miserable for users to be restrained from performing basic movements while wearing the solution.
4. The solution will be bullet resistant, at least type II, as according to the National Institute of Justice Standard 0101.06.
This is a disqualifying specification, because the solution is intended to replace current, similar ballistic vests and therefore will be able to protect a wearer from projectiles.
There is no reason for users to wear a solution that does not protect them from ballistic projectiles. No organization would purchase a ballistic vest that does not protect users from ballistic projectiles, as the solution would essentially be dead weight. The solution will be bullet resistance to at least Type II, as according to the National Institute of Justice Standard 0101.06, meaning... The weapons considered for Type II vests are equivalent to what most users would experience in non-military combat situations.
5. The solution will provide coverage of all vital areas of the torso (from the waist up to the clavicle), both on the front and the back.
A ballistic vest is designed to protect the user’s life and body from projectiles. To ensure the safety of the wearer and to decrease the risk of death and injury from damage to vital organs, the solution will cover the vital organs. The solution will protect all organs within the chest from the front, back, and sides. The solution will protect all organs above the large intestines and below the esophagus at the base of the neck, including but not limited to the lungs, heart, stomach, pancreas, and liver.
6. The technology and materials needed or used to create the solution must exist.
To construct a viable prototype within the allotted time for this design project, it is necessary to use materials that exist. The team does not have the time to devise new technology to be used for the solution. The method for creating a viable prototype that resolves our design problem will be based on the design of the solution itself. The solution will not be designed in such a way that it would theoretically work given materials or technology that do not exist at the present time.
7. The solution will provide additional protection to the user from the deformation of the back face (interior side of the ballistic panel in the vest) when the panel is struck by a projectile.
A major threat to the health of a wearer of a ballistic vest, aside from a bullet penetrating the vest, is the deformation of a vest caused by the impact of a bullet. A deep deformation can cause internal injuries as the force of the bullet is still being absorbed the user, even if the bullet does not penetrate the vest. As such, the vest will stop a bullet and have experience a deformation of less than 44 mm as per NIJ standards-0101.006. Even if the deformation is not deep enough to cause serious injuries, it is still painful, so the solution will provide added protection for the deformation.
8. The solution will be made of durable materials that will maintain their integrity while the solution is being used and will not rip or otherwise tear while the user is moving, bending, or twisting.
To be a viable solution, the design will withstand daily and repeated use by its wearer. It would be pointless to trust a solution to protect a user from being shot if the solution can not even stay intact while being worn.
9. The solution will fit snugly to its wearer, meaning will not slide around while running or moving, and will not ride up when bending or sitting.
For body armor, it is important that the armor fits snugly to the wearer when being worn. The solution will fit snugly because if the solution slides around while twisting, bounces up while running, or slides up into the wearer's neck while bending or sitting, it makes the solution uncomfortable to wear and use. The primary design problem is to make body armor more comfortable, so designing a vest that is not snug, and therefore uncomfortable does not solve the primary design problem.
10. The solution will not exceed eight (8) pounds.
The weight of the solution is a key component to user comfort. If we make the solution significantly heavier, it will make the solution less comfortable for users, which is in contradiction to our problem statement. The solution is intended to be worn for long periods of time, so it is imperative that weight does not discourage the user from using the solution.
11. Solution will not create additional dangers that are not already present in current, similar body armors.
Because the solution is designed to protect the user from harm, we cannot engineer a solution which creates additional safety concerns for it’s users. It would be pointless to design a solution intended to protect it's wearer that puts the wearer at a greater of different risk.
12. The solution will consist of no more than three (3) separate sections (harness, plate carrier, and ballistic panels) to prevent equipping, wearing, and taking off the solution from being difficult; prevent tangling; or prevent equipping, wearing, or taking off from being time consuming.
To ensure safety, the solution will be able to be equipped quickly, easy, and correctly. If equipping, wearing, or taking off the solution is difficult, if the solution tangles, or if it is time consuming, it makes the solution annoying to deal with and could discourage officers or soldiers from using it. If the wearer is injured, and the vest must be taken off to treat the injury, it is imperative the solution can be taken off quickly to help make treating the injury easier and decrease the risk of the wearer suffering permanent harm or death because the injury could not be treated quickly.
13. The solution will be designed to allow air to circulate between the solution and the wearer to help prevent the wearer from getting too hot and suffering from heat related injuries such as heat stroke or lightheadedness.
In order for the solution to ensure the comfort of the wearer, it will be designed to prevent overheating in the user. In warm environments, a tight, snug-fitting vest can trap heat and cause the user to become uncomfortable or overheat. In many warmer areas, heat stroke is a threat if the user becomes too hot. Providing ventilation in the vest itself or some other method for cooling the user, helps to reduce this risk.
14. The solution will maintain structural integrity while being worn in a wide range of temperatures that it is likely to be used in; between negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit (-20℉) and one hundred thirty degrees Fahrenheit (130℉).
Users of the solution will be located in a wide variety of climates. The solution would be more viable if it could withstand this wide range of temperatures. -20℉ is derived from the minimum temperature in Alaska during the winter season.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental information, Climate at a Glance: U.S. Time Series, Minimum Temperature, published September 2016
130℉ is derived from some of the highest outdoor temperatures, as in Kuwait.
Design Requirements are organized by order of decreasing priority and are labeled according to whether or not they are disqualifying specifications.
A disqualifying specification means that any solution that does not fulfill the requirement will not be considered when deciding on the most viable solution concept. All of the disqualifying criteria have the highest priority because if the solution does not adhere to these specifications, it is not a valid solution to the core problem.
1. The solution will not hinder mobility any more than any current, similar vests.
Mobility is a key component of the user’s comfort and safety. If the solution severely impacts mobility, it will be significantly less comfortable and safe for the wearer, which contradicts our problem statement. In many combat situations, especially in urban environments, the user may need mobility over protection. It is important to accommodate for the user's needs without sacrificing protection.
2. The solution will distribute its weight across multiple parts of the body so that the shoulders do not solely support the weight of the solution.
One method to increase the comfort of the user of the solution is to distribute the weight of the ballistic vest more effectively. The implementation of this method would be an effective addition to making our solution more comfortable, even if the weight of the vest isn’t reduced directly. Weight distribution also helps reduce the risk of stress or strain on specific joints, as the weight will be distributed across multiple areas.
3. The solution will be flexible, meaning it will be able to bend to match the shape of a human torso.
This is a disqualifying specification, because the requirement makes the solution more comfortable to the user and is necessary for adequate coverage and protection, which supports other requirements listed.
Flexibility is essential for our solution as it is vital for users to be able to move. Officers, soldiers, and other users of body armor will be able to run, bend, sit, etc. without being restricted by the armor. In combat scenarios, especially in urban environments, maneuverability is essential, and a flexibility helps the user maintain maneuverability. Flexibility is necessary and even when not in hazardous situations as it would be miserable for users to be restrained from performing basic movements while wearing the solution.
4. The solution will be bullet resistant, at least type II, as according to the National Institute of Justice Standard 0101.06.
This is a disqualifying specification, because the solution is intended to replace current, similar ballistic vests and therefore will be able to protect a wearer from projectiles.
There is no reason for users to wear a solution that does not protect them from ballistic projectiles. No organization would purchase a ballistic vest that does not protect users from ballistic projectiles, as the solution would essentially be dead weight. The solution will be bullet resistance to at least Type II, as according to the National Institute of Justice Standard 0101.06, meaning... The weapons considered for Type II vests are equivalent to what most users would experience in non-military combat situations.
5. The solution will provide coverage of all vital areas of the torso (from the waist up to the clavicle), both on the front and the back.
A ballistic vest is designed to protect the user’s life and body from projectiles. To ensure the safety of the wearer and to decrease the risk of death and injury from damage to vital organs, the solution will cover the vital organs. The solution will protect all organs within the chest from the front, back, and sides. The solution will protect all organs above the large intestines and below the esophagus at the base of the neck, including but not limited to the lungs, heart, stomach, pancreas, and liver.
6. The technology and materials needed or used to create the solution must exist.
To construct a viable prototype within the allotted time for this design project, it is necessary to use materials that exist. The team does not have the time to devise new technology to be used for the solution. The method for creating a viable prototype that resolves our design problem will be based on the design of the solution itself. The solution will not be designed in such a way that it would theoretically work given materials or technology that do not exist at the present time.
7. The solution will provide additional protection to the user from the deformation of the back face (interior side of the ballistic panel in the vest) when the panel is struck by a projectile.
A major threat to the health of a wearer of a ballistic vest, aside from a bullet penetrating the vest, is the deformation of a vest caused by the impact of a bullet. A deep deformation can cause internal injuries as the force of the bullet is still being absorbed the user, even if the bullet does not penetrate the vest. As such, the vest will stop a bullet and have experience a deformation of less than 44 mm as per NIJ standards-0101.006. Even if the deformation is not deep enough to cause serious injuries, it is still painful, so the solution will provide added protection for the deformation.
8. The solution will be made of durable materials that will maintain their integrity while the solution is being used and will not rip or otherwise tear while the user is moving, bending, or twisting.
To be a viable solution, the design will withstand daily and repeated use by its wearer. It would be pointless to trust a solution to protect a user from being shot if the solution can not even stay intact while being worn.
9. The solution will fit snugly to its wearer, meaning will not slide around while running or moving, and will not ride up when bending or sitting.
For body armor, it is important that the armor fits snugly to the wearer when being worn. The solution will fit snugly because if the solution slides around while twisting, bounces up while running, or slides up into the wearer's neck while bending or sitting, it makes the solution uncomfortable to wear and use. The primary design problem is to make body armor more comfortable, so designing a vest that is not snug, and therefore uncomfortable does not solve the primary design problem.
10. The solution will not exceed eight (8) pounds.
The weight of the solution is a key component to user comfort. If we make the solution significantly heavier, it will make the solution less comfortable for users, which is in contradiction to our problem statement. The solution is intended to be worn for long periods of time, so it is imperative that weight does not discourage the user from using the solution.
11. Solution will not create additional dangers that are not already present in current, similar body armors.
Because the solution is designed to protect the user from harm, we cannot engineer a solution which creates additional safety concerns for it’s users. It would be pointless to design a solution intended to protect it's wearer that puts the wearer at a greater of different risk.
12. The solution will consist of no more than three (3) separate sections (harness, plate carrier, and ballistic panels) to prevent equipping, wearing, and taking off the solution from being difficult; prevent tangling; or prevent equipping, wearing, or taking off from being time consuming.
To ensure safety, the solution will be able to be equipped quickly, easy, and correctly. If equipping, wearing, or taking off the solution is difficult, if the solution tangles, or if it is time consuming, it makes the solution annoying to deal with and could discourage officers or soldiers from using it. If the wearer is injured, and the vest must be taken off to treat the injury, it is imperative the solution can be taken off quickly to help make treating the injury easier and decrease the risk of the wearer suffering permanent harm or death because the injury could not be treated quickly.
13. The solution will be designed to allow air to circulate between the solution and the wearer to help prevent the wearer from getting too hot and suffering from heat related injuries such as heat stroke or lightheadedness.
In order for the solution to ensure the comfort of the wearer, it will be designed to prevent overheating in the user. In warm environments, a tight, snug-fitting vest can trap heat and cause the user to become uncomfortable or overheat. In many warmer areas, heat stroke is a threat if the user becomes too hot. Providing ventilation in the vest itself or some other method for cooling the user, helps to reduce this risk.
14. The solution will maintain structural integrity while being worn in a wide range of temperatures that it is likely to be used in; between negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit (-20℉) and one hundred thirty degrees Fahrenheit (130℉).
Users of the solution will be located in a wide variety of climates. The solution would be more viable if it could withstand this wide range of temperatures. -20℉ is derived from the minimum temperature in Alaska during the winter season.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental information, Climate at a Glance: U.S. Time Series, Minimum Temperature, published September 2016
130℉ is derived from some of the highest outdoor temperatures, as in Kuwait.