Abstract
Soldiers seated in military tactical vehicles perform diverse manual tasks while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and body borne gear (BBG), which potentially restrict the soldiers’ ability to reach. In this study, participants performed seated reach movements to targets in a wide range of locations around the body, with and without a harness restraint, while donning a range of PPE configurations. The participants then reported perceived difficulty of reach motions on a 10-point scale. A preliminary analysis indicated that difficulty ratings significantly increase with added harness and armor levels. Further, the overhead and left hemisphere areas of the participant’s body show increased difficulty ratings in added armor and harness level conditions due to the restricted torso mobility. These findings will be incorporated into a quantitative model for vehicle design to improve occupants’ performance and comfort.
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