Ten years ago (2006) I was approached by an engineer from the science park in Cambridge UK, to design a harness to hold a sensing monitor that recorded and transmitted physiological data from the wearer to a receiving centre. The company was bidding on an American military contract that required the physical data of soldiers to be transmitted back to headquarters so that the well-being of troops in the battleground could be monitored.
The monitoring device was to be placed closely over the sternum, in contact with the skin of the wearer. The harness had to fit snugly or the transmission would be interrupted. The harness had to survive any operations senario, desert, extreme cold, immersion in sea water, and of course the sweat and wear and tear of its owners lifestyle.
The project took some time to complete and the feedback from the American troops was not favourable about the bra hook and eye fastenings but sampling went ahead.
I heard little more until 2010 when the 2nd generation of the project appeared. Now female troops were to be catered for and the position of the monitor had changed due to new body armour designs. Research into suitable fabrics suggested spacer fabric, newly developed with an option to choose smart yarns that supported its fitness for purpose.
Fastening the harness was modified to Fildon’s butterfly fastenings and the whole harness was bonded together. Everybody seemed happy and the final design went to a Sew Systems in Leicester for production.