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Richard Palmer, d3o Inventor, O2 X Entrepreneur of the Year
When Richard Palmer created d3o, a very cool advanced polymer with shear thickening properties, nobody thought it would work - and what good is it?
(Richard Palmer, creator of d3o)
Here's what you can do with d3o - you can make a supersuit, a flexible outfit that turns instantly as rigid as a tough fiberglass helmet. See Skiers Get d3o-based 'Impact Suits' for more information.
What kind of guy would sell his house and car, and move into a friend's spare bedroom, and work until he made his dream a reality? Listen up:
"It has been a battle against the odds to get this far. I've had to struggle against ignorance of the major players, work out of a back bedroom and beg, borrow and steal to keep development going, but I never doubted that it could be done," said Palmer."What we've developed is already being incorporated into everything from police body armour to protective sportswear, and the number of applications is almost infinite.
"At the moment a complete superhero suit made of our material would be a bit too heavy and far too expensive, but those challenges should be overcome within the next few years."
Palmer was named the O2 X Entrepreneur of the Year award for 2007 in a ceremony in London last week. A former DuPont scientist, he approached the world's largest polymer companies with his invention - and they said it was impossible. See Flexible-Rigid Beanie-Helmet For Snowsports for examples of consumer goods now possible.
Via Sunday Herald. Thanks to Dominic for the tip.
(Rocking d3o video)
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 7/10/2007)
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