Aspects of Design Thinking, Material Engineering, and Usability Technology in the Design of Suit for Police Officers Operating on Motorcycles – Part II: Validation in Simulated and Real Conditions

Abstract The implementation of operational activities by motorcyclists, police officers, requires the use of construction and material solutions with significantly increased functionality and with particular emphasis on comfort and ergonomics. Prospective studies were conducted for two clothing systems: “summer” and “winter” throughout the calendar year, considering all seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. A group of six police officers took part in the research, for which five full sets of answers were obtained in an anonymized survey. The aim of the work carried out in the field of designing the new material systems and construction solution was to validate comfort and ergonomics, considering the performance of the textile solution for police officers performing activities on motorcycles. The research thesis proposes that arranging textile materials and designing the product properly will enhance the ergonomics and functionality of a motorcyclist’s suit prototype. Validation tests led to several design changes in the motorcycle suit prototype. The summer and winter jackets were modified to improve the attachment of the service belt, adding a belt loop for easier use. For the trousers, oblique ventilation pockets replaced the original slanted pockets, with covered strips allowing airflow from the opposite direction. The prototype of motorcyclist suits was positively evaluated, both by independent testers in simulated conditions in accordance with the PN-EN ISO 13595-1:2005 standard, and in real, long-term use conditions.