Tuvie

Short track speed skating is a high-speed sport – reaching up to speeds over 40 miles per hour. Many of the accidents occur during competitions. The athletes are exposed to serious head injuries when they hit their head against the ice or the soft pads in the ice rink. Due to numerous races throughout each year, the helmet is exposed to multiple impacts.

Aiguille is a high performance headgear for short track speed skaters. The user is a professional athlete who participates in competitions. The athlete only uses the headgear during these high performance races. This headgear not only reduces drag, but also delivers confidence in the rink.

Designer : Mathias Hintermann

There has been no design refinement in this market. To solve the problem of high impact injures, the helmet needs to be redesigned. For safety, new materials need to be introduced. Personal research has also shown that the chinstrap is uncomfortable for the athlete. Mock-ups tested on the athlete showed improvements in use.

The challenge was to make the athlete faster, but also improve air circulation without going outside the rules of the sports. Furthermore, increase the ease of use and adding a strapless design. This project was based on a study conducted at MIT on protective gear. Aiguille introduces a headgear without a chinstrap to deliver maximal comfort for the competitive skater. It improves aerodynamics through an innovative flexible structure, which allows an active crumble zone. This crumble zone can absorb the impact and then goes back into its actual shape. New protective materials absorb the force of the impact rather than distributing it.

Tuvie has received “Aiguille Short Track Speed Skater Headgear” from our ‘Submit A Design‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their design/concept for publication.