Kansas varsity researcher for better supportive sports bra

04 Dec '13

4 min read

Suh is using the motion capture system to study the breast tissue's direction of force when a woman exercises. Reflective markers are placed on the body and eight optical cameras in the ceiling track the sensors' movements. This helps Suh understand what direction of movement she needs to focus on the most.

"When participants are running on the treadmill or jumping, the cameras track how much the markers move," Suh said. "The computer combines all the data to make a 3-D view with XYZ coordinates and we try to calculate speed, acceleration and angles in movement."

After analyzing the direction of the force and breast movement, Suh will evaluate the role of the shoulder strap as an important part of the bra in providing antigravity support without too much pressure on the shoulders. The pressure sensor system on the shoulder provides some critical information to measure the pressure-support ratio.

"I think the wider the strap, the better," Suh said. "The same weight and the same force will be applied over the shoulder, but if we increase the area, pressure goes down. We feel the pressure, not the entire force."

Once Suh is finished calculating breast volume, movement and pressure, she will research the comfort and functional aspects of designing a bra that will support breasts effectively.

"I think the direction we are heading is to develop or engineer a sports bra to provide the optimum support in the right direction," Suh said.

Kansas State University

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