Ribcap Roisin featured on The Gadget Show
The Ribcap beany and it's use of the polymer-based substance, d30, first came to my attention on the Uk BBC2's The gadget show. I normally find myself sitting in front of the televison when this show is being aired as I enjoy the way it presents new ideas and technologies with a good amount of enthusiaseme.
The article starts with one of the presenters holding an orange putty-like substance in his hand which he refers to as being a little bit of the future and 'like playdoh'. He shows it to be complety maebale by kneading it and folding it in on itself and almost putting his thumb through it at one point.
The substance is then defty rolled into a ball and a little peak is created ready for the demostration of it's more hidden properties. He holds his hand close to the camera and shows us the d3o in the palm of with the peak facing upwards. He then hits it with a small mallet. The substance reacts by firming up and deflecting the blow that has been delivered. The peak that was made stays exactly as it was and refused to be deformed by the blows. The presenter explains this by saying that the molecules just refuse to move and wont get out the way when hit by a 'quick fast force'.
He then states that one of the most useful applications for this type of substance is in clothing that has a protective function. He elects to prove this use by the Gadget show's usual graphic way of a straight-forward demostration. He puts on a Ribcap Roisin and walks over to an area of the studio that has two Watermellons set up with a beanie on eack of them. One has a Ribcap Billie over it and the over has a normal beanie instead but at this point you are not meant to know which is which.
He then whacks each mellon in turn though it does seem that he hits the second one with a bit more force to help prove a point. The first one, protected by the Ribcap, has not been affected at all be the blow with the force giving by the mallet being distributed as intended by the d30 woven into it's fabric. The second Watermellon wearing the normal Beanie has almost been split in two as the mallets blow went straight the material smashed into it.
Whilst not exactly being a scientific experiment it was a fairly convincing demonstration of the protective powers of d30. I actively sourced out a supplier of Ribcaps for Jumppoweriser and have made the full availible for purchase at our shop's range of Ribcap protective beanies. Please have a look and let me know what you think.
Article added by: Andy R 03/08/2007
