Spyder Active Sports, a Boulder, Colorado based manufacturer of skiwear products, has incorporated a “smart” material by UK’s d3o into its line of clothing. Now the US and O’Canadian teams protect the team members from injury on the giant slalom at this year’s Winter Olympics, according to the New Scientist. The material’s proprietary formula is kept secret, but this is how the company describes it, and skiers seem to agree:
d30 is a specially engineered material made with intelligent molecules. They flow with you as you move but on shock lock together to absorb the impact energy.
During the normal use the d3o molecules move slowly so the material is soft and flexible.
On impact the 3do molecules lock together providing superior impact protection to conventional materials.
d3o Mesh is a perforated textured sheet which has been specifically designed for comfort and breathability for applications requiring good flexure and medium levels of impact protection and is suitable for feet, body and head applications.
Interesting material that surely could be used for some of the other medical applications.
The New Scientist article…
d3o home page…
Spider wear home page…
(hat tip: Medgadget reader Dr. Ross)