Jun.20, 2013
Currently the gear you can buy for your board sports isn't made for you. It's designed by average - an average of body types and sizes. MADE, a performance board sports manufacturer based in Chicago, IL has come up with a smarter way to create high-performance hyper-custom sail, kite, surf, and paddle boards.
Shanon Marks, Erik Johnson and Mark Laughlin from Made LLC have developed hyper-customized boards based on your performance tracking data and environmental conditions which can then be 3D printed on a large Fortus 900 3D Printer. You can fine tune, change, or modify any of the recommended board attributes, creating boards for any body, any style and any level of expertise.
The prototypes are constructed with an internal bridge made from ABSm-30, a high-strength and dynamic thermoplastic. This radically reduces weight, while creating a resilient and durable internal architecture.
The prototype you see in the video below is a 250cm x 90cm board at a total weight of 13 pounds - much lighter than comparable boards on the market. The lattice core is then lined with bamboo underlayment and fiberglass shell.
Riders will use a mobile performance analytics tracking app, the VOLUME, developed by the company, to track their behaviors. Each time you ride your performance is tracked, analyzed, and added to your profile.
Every time you ride, VOLUME records your performance along with geographic, oceanic, atmospheric and other tracking metrics. The proprietary performance engine tracks the data of other VOLUME carrying riders around you too, using multiple social data feeds of those nearest your level of expertise. This creates a clear model of real time conditions and performance analytics - everyone is a sensor on the surface of the water. Saved to your rider profile, VOLUME is continuously compiling data to keep you riding better, longer, and more often. When you're ready for a new board, the compiled data is used to custom design it.
Made's fundraising campaign launches via Kickstarter today. The Trio are intent on raising at least $450,000 in order to fund the acquisition of the Fortus 900mc 3D printer and materials, as well as the further development of MADE SmartBoards. A 3D printed, hyper-custom Kite SmartBoard costs $799.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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