PSS,DaedoandKPNP:howtheelectronicchestprotectorworksin2026

Modern kyorugi is played as much on the mat as in the firmware. Since World Taekwondo adopted the Protector and Scoring System in 2009, the PSS taekwondo electronic chest protector stopped being an accessory and became the silent referee of every bout. In 2026, three brands share the homologated market, and each one proposes a different philosophy about what, exactly, counts as a valid kick.

This article walks through how Daedo, KPNP, and the most recent generation of PSS systems work, what it costs to equip a club, what controversies exploded at Paris 2024, and where the technology is headed on the road to Los Angeles 2028.

PSS stands for Protector and Scoring System, the technical standard that WT requires for any official competition. It is not a brand but a protocol: it defines which zones are valid, how many sensors the chest protector (Hogu, 호구) must have, how impacts are transmitted to the scoreboard, and what force thresholds trigger the point depending on weight category and age.

Before PSS, corner judges scored by hand. Subjectivity was enormous and refereeing scandals tarnished several Olympic Games. Electronics promised to clean up the discipline, and largely did, but they also introduced a new problem: the chest protector became hackable, calibratable, and above all vulnerable to fighting styles designed to fool the sensor more than to land technically sound strikes.

Today a PSS taekwondo electronic chest protector combines pressure or magnetic sensors on the torso, instrumented socks (E-foot) with tags that are recognized on impact, and a helmet with accelerometers to validate head kicks. Everything travels by radio frequency to a receiver that displays the result in less than a second.

Daedo, a Spanish-Korean manufacturer, was the official supplier of London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024. Its system uses magnetic sensors: the sock carries a coded transmitter, and the chest protector only recognizes impacts coming from that source, which eliminates accidental strikes with the knee or elbow.

The advantage is precision at the point of impact. The disadvantage, and this is where the technical debate begins, is that the system rewards contact geometry more than actual power. Short kicks, almost pushes with the instep, can score the same as a well-rotated bandal chagi (반달 차기) if the angle is right.

Daedo launched its Gen5 in 2025 with dual sensors and an acceleration validation algorithm. The brand is betting on remaining the Olympic benchmark, although its historic exclusivity with WT has been questioned by federations calling for more open tenders.

KPNP, of South Korean origin, is the other major homologated brand and the favorite of many Asian athletes. Its technology is similar in concept but different in sensitivity: traditionally its chest protectors responded to broader impacts, which favored competitors with long legs and sweeping kicks.

At Grand Prix championships you can see the same athlete change strategy depending on the brand used. With KPNP there tend to be more body exchanges; with Daedo, more front-leg jabs and blocks. This variability frustrates coaches who must prepare their students for both worlds.

KPNP has also pushed hard in the amateur segment, with more affordable kits for clubs and national federations. Its penetration in Latin America grew notably between 2022 and 2025.

Beyond the duopoly, proposals like mTK, Adidas iSmart, and Chinese developments are emerging that seek WT homologation. World Taekwondo has signaled interest in allowing multiple suppliers at the same event, something that technically requires interoperability protocols that are not yet standardized.

The argument in favor is clear: more competition means lower prices and greater innovation. The argument against is also valid: each brand has its own sensitivity, and mixing them in one tournament could generate inconsistent results between adjacent mats.

A chest protector that decides medals cannot be a black box. Transparency of the algorithm is the next ethical frontier of competition taekwondo.

Prices vary by country and volume, but the indicative ranges are as follows:

• Individual homologated electronic chest protector: between 250 and 450 euros.
• PSS helmet with sensors: between 200 and 350 euros.
• E-foot socks (pair): between 80 and 150 euros.
• Receiver and scoreboard software for one complete mat: between 3,500 and 7,000 euros.
• Complete system for a club with four training mats: around 25,000 euros.

For a mid-sized club, equipping with homologated technology amounts to an investment that only pays off if it produces competitors who fight on G1 circuits or above. That is why many gyms use non-homologated electronic chest protectors for daily training and reserve official gear for preparatory sparring.

Paris 2024 was, once again, the setting for debate. Bouts decided by minimal differences, protests over points not registered for clearly connected kicks, and viral videos of head impacts that the helmet did not detect put the system in question again. WT defended overall reliability but opened a technical review for Los Angeles 2028.

The known lines of work for the next Olympic cycle include:

1. Sensors with real force measurement, not just contact.
2. Cross-validation with computer vision from multiple angles.
3. Partial transparency of the scoring algorithm.
4. Possible opening to more than one manufacturer per event.

There is also discussion about whether taekwondo should recover part of human judgment to reward spectacular technique, something the current system punishes by privileging economy of movement.

If you compete or coach competitors, knowing the particularities of each PSS taekwondo electronic chest protector is not optional. The brand used at the tournament shapes the tactical plan, the choice of kicks, and even the training footwear during the weeks leading up to it.

The debate about electronics in kyorugi will remain alive because it touches the heart of the discipline: what, exactly, is a good strike. As long as the answer changes with each firmware update, the smart coaches will be the ones who study both the rulebook and the manufacturers' tech sheets. To dig deeper, we recommend reviewing our guide on kyorugi rules and official WT categories.