A keen snowboarding enthusiast has designed a life-saving thermal top to protect its wearer from hypothermia – especially if the person is injured or stranded.
The HyProtection vest, created by Tom Le Mesurier (23), a final year Industrial Design and Technology student at Brunel University, was displayed at the Made in Brunel exhibition at the Business Design Centre, in Islington, North London, last week [June 8-10] where it attracted interest from industry.
Tom explained that the thermal vest contains heat strips that are triggered to warm the upper body by sensors inside an underarm pocket.
“As a snowboarder myself, I've seen incidents where people have had injuries or have been knocked unconscious and I realised that this could lead to other problems, such as hypothermia,“ he said.
The tiny under-arm sensors are activated if the core body temperature drops too low due to cold conditions. “Hyprotection will allow more time for the wearer to be found before chronic hypothermia kicks in,“ he added.
The heat strips can be removed so that the top can be maintained and washed, but they can only be used once. “The vest is designed to save your life. After it's done its job, you'll have to buy another one,“ he laughed.
For further details, contact the Brunel University Press Office, press-office@brunel.ac.uk
Or contact Tom directly: email: tomlemesurier@hotmail.com