McLaren has just developed a carbon fiber chest shield made from F1 racing car components. The high-speed giant of car racing has developed a personalized healthcare solution for those looking to help protect their vital organs post-surgery. The wearable shield protects the rib cage as well as the vital organs – including the heart and the lungs. The shield is comprised of materials that will be used in next season’s Formula 1 car – including zylon fibers, used by all F1 teams on their cars for protection against side penetration. McLaren Applied Technologies introduced its innovative project recently calling it the Project Invincible.
McLaren’s multi-material shield features high-failure strain Dyneema fibers, as used in body armor, for damage containment, and a highly-toughened resin system with woven fabrics for impact resistance. The stiff carbon fiber shield ensures flexural rigidity and load carrying capabilities where the main protection and strongest forces will be applied.
McLaren Applied Technologies took an entirely holistic approach to the project, scanning the client’s body to fully understand the shape and movement needed for the best possible customized structure. The project, in its early stage, was a wearable product – integrating with the human body as a whole. With further development in the, now called, Project Invincible, the product has changed into a chest-shield, engineered to distribute the initial impact into three different load zones away from the surgery site, protecting the vital organs and central chest region.
Designer: McLaren Applied Technologies
