A brace system for protecting at least a part of the body, the system comprising: a selectively electrically activated brace (2902) for the part of the body, the brace constructed to have a first modulus of elasticity in an inactivated state and to have a second modulus, larger than the first modulus, in an activated state； a sensor (2908) electrically connected to the brace (2902), the sensor (2908) constructed to sense the condition of the brace and to determine whether or not to activate the brace based on the sensed condition； a power source (2904) electrically connected to the sensor (2908) and constructed to selectively power the brace (2902)； and a switch (2906) electrically connected to the brace (2902) and the power source (2904), wherein the switch (2906) is constructed to selectively connect the power source (2904) to the brace (2902) in the activated state and to disconnect the power source (2904) from the brace (2902) in the inactivated state.
