Heather Hobson
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 d3o Smart Polymer d3o and it’s a polymer compound that is flexible enough for the person wearing it to run, jump, roll or just about anything else. But when performing under a high impact scenario, like a slalom crash or a series of balletic leaps, the molecules lock up and it becomes rock hard, protecting the athlete from injury. It’s a material that’s strong enough to withstand beatings from baseball bats; it’s flexible enough to create a suit for extreme skiers and snowboarders; it makes for a cool looking beanie, but will protect your head as good as any helmet. And now it’s being used to save the feet of ballerinas whose toes have been gnarled like tree roots for centuries. d3o was invented by former DuPont scientist Richard Palmer. When he was trying to persuade investors to believe in his product he couldn’t get anyone’s support. His tenacity paid off, in 2007 Palmer was named the O2X Entrepreneur of the Year in London.  After five years of development, the Ribcap [sport headgear] team settled on d3o as the material of choice. Ruth Gough, d3o's brand manager describes her own experience using the Ribcap while out on the piste:
She [Gough] had a rather dramatic fall that terminated on her head. "I was a bit dazed, and I almost wasn’t sure whether I had actually hit my head, although the concern I got from those who saw it assured me that I really had, and quite hard!"
This is a common reaction to real world d3o impact trials. d3o is so comfortable it feels like an extension of you. It’s very easy to forget it’s there, and you’d be forgiven for thinking, in that split second before you hit the ground "this is never going to work..."
(sundayherald)References: technovelgy, sundayherald Comment: on Innovative Sports Fabrics |
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