A configurable manikin for evaluating bra support

• Developed manikin proved to be suitable for detecting breast movement differences • Manikin allows adjustment of prosthesis size, speed, frequency, and inclination • Vertical motion, Euclidean distance, lag, and 3D forces and torques can be assessed • Manikin effectively demonstrated sports bra performance benefits Although bras are an essential part of women's clothing, particularly important for comfort during daily activities, there is currently no standardized method to evaluate their support performance. Most studies rely on human subject trials with small groups of young participants and focus primarily on subjective comfort and vertical breast movement. A promising alternative to human subject studies are manikins for standardized testing. However, first manikin prototypes offer limited adjustability to different breast sizes and types of activity. This study introduces a manikin configurable for various walking and running activities to analyze the range of breast movement and assess bra support level under well-defined and controlled conditions. Replaceable breast prostheses enable the simulation of different breast sizes as well as asymmetric conditions. The consistency and repeatability of the measurements were investigated in this study. To demonstrate its practical application, the manikin was used to assess the support provided by a T-shirt, a casual bra, and a sports bra. The sports bra consistently outperformed other garments across all tested parameters, demonstrating a 75% reduction in the range of breast movement and a 58% reduction in the lag between body and breast movement compared to the nude measurement, highlighting the system’s ability for bra design evaluation.