RAPIMOD K9 HARNESS

THE ROLES OF WORKING K9’S & RELATED CAUSES OF INJURY & DEATH

Working canines play a vital role in modern military and law enforcement operations,working alongside their handlers and often being assigned tasks that are too dangerous for humans. These tasks include, but are not limited to; explosive & drug detection, tracking, search and rescue, patrol and the apprehension of suspects. They are also employed in an array of environments ranging from urban door-to-door situations to jungle, mountainous or aquatic locations. Considering the dangerous working environment of MWDs and LEO K9s, serious injury or death is relatively common. The most common causes of death for military working dogs and law enforcement K9s were gunshot/shrapnel wounds, heatstroke, stabbings & blunt force injuries.

Existing k9 protective & tactical equiptment

A range of harnesses & vests were arranged on a product positioning map, comparing their functionality and protectivity. Functionality encompasses tactical adaptability, situational versatility, and modularity, while protectivity indicates the degree of defense the gear provides the K9. Civilian harnesses—such as protective hunting collars—fall on the map’s lower-right, offering minimal tactical features but strong protection against physical injuries. Military-spec harnesses, like the K9 Vision System, prioritize situational support over protection. Civilian models with basic features, such as cooling or storage in the Ruff Wear Swamp Cooler Vest, offer moderate practicality but less durability and protection. Corresponding mil-spec options offer similar tactical and protective features, however, are constructed with more durable and robust materials. Alternatively, some military spec products offer both high levels of protection and functionality as they tend to focus more on the protective aspect and often sacrifice the situational adaptability and tactical features that can be found in other less protective products.The benchmarking section of this report heavily influences the general purpose of future designs. Using the product positioning map, I identified 2 distinct gaps in the market: highly functional & moderately protective equipment and low functionality, moderate protectivity equipment. Since the target demographic for this product is military and police K9s, the lower-functionality equipment will not be considered. This narrows our design options to a highly functional and tactical harness with medium to high protectivity.

Research summary

To further understand what features & style of harness are desired, research involving key stakeholders was conducted. Archival observations in the form of publicly available police and military K9 bodycam and other footage was analysed, providing a better understanding of the contexts in which K9s are used. A relatively broad survey was then conducted with the aim of collecting background information that would drive the direction of further interviews. Finally, for an in-depth understanding, an interview was conducted with a current Queensland Police K9 Handler, with the survey responses affecting the questions asked. The information gathered from this process heavily influenced the harness design direction, as well as final features incorporated.

research design implications

When analysing existing studies and statistics into the injury and death of military working dogs and law enforcement K9s, heat exhaustion, gunshot and other ballistics, stab and vehicular incidents were the most common causes for injury or death. This was further supported by the independent research conducted – consisting of the archival observation, survey and interview. The independent research also established the most common location of injuries on K9s, highlighting the critical areas to protect: the neck, chest, flank and vital organs of the K9.

The resulting design should consist of a highly modular and adaptable harness built for various environments and situations. It should be constructed with durable and environmentally protective materials, and incorporate key features such as; ballistic, stab and blunt force protection, heat mitigation, GPS tracking and tactical modularity. Other innovative features identified include, integrated radio communication and cameras and remote quick release mechanisms. To ensure versatility across operational contexts, the ability to easily add or remove these features are essential.

Initial rough concepts

the final concept

The Rapimod K9 Harness is a modular three-piece harness system with both tactical and protective features designed for situational adaptability. The base harness design, though bulletproof, focuses on tactical capabilities; being lightweight, cooling & comfortable. It houses all the integrated tactical technology and is ideal for low risk tasks such as drug detection or search & rescue.
The body & back kevlar attachment provides the K9’s body with extensive stab & ballistics kevlar resistance, whilst maintaining a relatively high range of motion. This arrangement would be ideal for dangerous situations where the K9 still needs to be agile – for example, suspect apprehension involving fleeing armed individuals. It also provides the K9 handler with integrated storage and M.O.L.L.E. attachment points.
The full harness assembly, with neck & chest protection, covers majority of the K9’s vital areas with stab & ballistic resistance. Whilst slightly limiting maneuverability, this configuration provides extensive protection and is ideal for high-risk operations such as armed & barricaded suspect apprehension or explosives detection.

key features

– Easily Adaptable, Modular Protective & Tactical Configurations for Different Scenarios
– Integrated 360° Live Camera – Bodycam Feed via Phone Application
– K9 Body-Temp Monitoring to Limit Overheating via Phone Application
– Integrated GPS K9 Location Tracking via Phone Application
– Integrated Secure Storage Compartment
– Easy Restraint/Control Points (Handle & Leash)
– M.O.L.L.E Military Strips for Attachments
– Efficient & Durable Metal Fastening Mechanisms (Cobra Buckles & Snap-Fit Buttons)

Different colourways

Different colour combinations for a variety scenarios, environments & agencies.

exploded view

The base harness is constructed with a hard yet flexible Dyneema HB50 bulletproof plastic shell with 3D spacer, cooling gel to mitigate overheating in the K9, with the integrated GPS tracking and thermometer body-temp monitoring is inserted between these two layers. The only exposed fabrics on the harness is a durable & breathable cotton canvas that protects from rips & tears. The remaining fastening mechanisms and tactical devices are either sewn or glued onto the exterior – with all stitches on the device being constructed with kevlar thread for mil-spec durability. The remaining soft section of the harness is constructed with traditional kevlar body-armour material – similar to human worn vests.