A user-centred development process for an equipment vest for the Swedish police force
2024 (English)In: International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, ISSN 2045-7804, E-ISSN 2045-7812, Vol. 11, no 1, p. 56-77Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The aim of this paper is to describe a user-centred development process for an equipment vest for police officers on active duty. Development and evaluation of the vest were conducted through a multidisciplinary collaboration between the police organisation and external researchers with expertise in ergonomics and biomechanics. The development process was initiated with a user needs analysis, followed by pilot testing of the initial vest prototype. In the extensive usability test, 95 police officers participated. Interviews, focus group discussions, and pressure measurements were conducted to assess the vest’s functionality, impact on physical load, safety aspects, and signal value. Throughout the process, several important aspects were identified. Researchers delivered results iteratively to the designers and project manager. The results from the user evaluation guided further development, resulting in an equipment vest tailored to the needs and requirements of Swedish police officers on active duty.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
InderScience Publishers, 2024. Vol. 11, no 1, p. 56-77
Keywords [en]
biomechanics, development process, emultidisciplinary collaboration, equipment vest, ergonomics, physical load, police forces, usability test, user-centred
National Category
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-63857DOI: 10.1504/IJHFE.2024.137126ISI: 001179533900005Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85187131993Local ID: GOA;;942847OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-63857DiVA, id: diva2:1845927
2024-03-202024-03-202024-04-05Bibliographically approved