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U.S. Ski Suits Straight Out of Science Fiction

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reiko On March 27, 2006

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New York, New York
#1New Post! Feb 22, 2006 @ 00:03:47
In their 1971 novel "The Flying Sorcerors," science fiction writers David Gerrold and Larry Niven wrote about an impossible idea?a suit that was both flexible all over and hard as armor all over:

It was my impact suit," Purple said. He took a step forward and thumped himself hard in the belly with this fist. His belly was big and soft, so the blow should have made him wince. It did not. I thought for a moment that Purple had become rigid as stone.

"My impact suit," he repeated. "Normally it flows like cloth, but under a sharp blow it becomes a single rigid unit.

Thirty-five years later, U.S. and Canadian skiers get to wear one. Spyder, a skiwear company based in Colorado, is working with d3o labs to incorporate a special material that hardens in "extreme" circumstances (like in a fall, for example).

The material is one of a class of similar materials that have been used for applications as diverse as body armor and rehabilitative exoskeletons. The material that d3o uses is a mixture of a viscous liquid and a polymer; once the d3o material has been synthesized, it is poured into a mold according to the application. When at rest (or when gently flexed), the molecules within the material can flow past one another. When a sudden deformation is applied, the molecules lock, forming a shield.

Although the material is available only to Olympic atheletes at the present time, Spyder will offer ski racing apparel with d3o technology starting in September.



cool!!!
sweetrnsugar77 On December 22, 2008

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My Apartment, Oregon
#2New Post! Feb 22, 2006 @ 01:03:32
you read toooo much, its official.

"but under a sharp blow it becomes a single rigid unit" and you realize intox is out there somewhere!!!
reiko On March 27, 2006

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New York, New York
#3New Post! Feb 22, 2006 @ 01:04:01
sweetrnsugar77 On December 22, 2008

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My Apartment, Oregon
#4New Post! Feb 22, 2006 @ 01:06:53
How was the footage today?? I havent seen any yet....got about 2 hours still.
reiko On March 27, 2006

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New York, New York
#5New Post! Feb 22, 2006 @ 01:08:03
Footage?
paramour On July 30, 2014




Purgatory Beach,
#6New Post! Feb 22, 2006 @ 02:30:26
blah, Spyder ski suits already cost more than enough. I'm sure that's going to jack the prices up even more.
steraw04 On December 12, 2007




Toronto, Canada
#7New Post! Feb 22, 2006 @ 13:14:46
AHHHH!!!!
ive seen this research!!!
its like the cornflour and water idea... what happens is the molecules in the polymer lie like blankets under normal conditions... i.e. like a cloth or fluid... then once a force/pressure is applied the bonds are compressed thus absorbing all the energy in a split second.
some materials break under the the stress others just distribute it into the other layers and out.

its a really cool idea though! as long as it withstands the forces well enough!
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