Hurt Locker fans should particularly enjoy this read on bomb-proof suits worn by soldiers in explosive ordnance disposal units.
The hard-armor plates that cover the tech's torso, groin and thighs act as the primary absorbers of fragmentation, but their main function is to deflect the deadly overpressure wave. "The suit in the movie didn't show it, but in the real world, these plates are shaped like flattened boomerangs to literally reflect the pulse energy out and away from the technician," says Borkar. Since techs usually squat or sit on their knees while working, this rigid armor is thickest around the groin and inner thighs (to protect the femoral artery).
[Via]