Selectively stiffenable assemblies, protective garments for protecting an individual, and systems and methods of using the same

A protective garment system, comprising:

• a plurality of first shield segments forming a first arrangement conformable to one or more contours of an individual wearing the protective garment when the protective garment is in an undeployed configuration;
• a plurality of second shield segments forming a second arrangement conformable to the one or more contours of the individual wearing the garment when the protective garment is in the undeployed configuration, at least one of the plurality of second shield segments positioned adjacent to at least one of the plurality of first shield segments and two or more shield segments of the plurality of first shield segments overlapping the at least one of the plurality of second shield segments, the plurality of first shield segments being positioned between the one or more contours and the plurality of second shield segments;
• a compression mechanism operably coupled to or integrated with at least one of the plurality of first shield segments or the plurality of second shield segments and configured to change sliding resistance therebetween from a first state to a second state;
• the sliding resistance between the plurality of first shield segments and the plurality of second shield segments being greater in the second state;
• wherein each shield segment of the plurality of first shield segments has a generally circular first perimeter and a first lateral surface bounded by the generally circular first perimeter;
• each shield segment of the plurality of second shield segments having a generally circular second perimeter and a second lateral surface bounded by the generally circular second perimeter;
• and the compression mechanism is configured to change sliding resistance between the first lateral surface of one or more of the plurality of first shield segments and the second lateral surface of one or more of the plurality of second shield segments from a first state to a second state such that both the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface are changed to the second state, the sliding resistance between the one or more of the plurality of first shield segments and the one or more of the plurality of second shield segments being greater in the second state.