Overview
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FLIPO
A professional sports prosthesis designed specifically for skateboarding, crafted to empower athletes with disabilities to execute high-level tricks with precision and skill.
Info
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Project Type
Personal Project
Role
Industrial Designer
Timeline
Oct 2021 - Jan 2022
Personal Project
Role
Industrial Designer
Timeline
Oct 2021 - Jan 2022
Context
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In general perception, individuals with disabilities are often seen as a disadvantaged group, for whom daily tasks may pose challenges. However, it is important to recognize that there is a significant number of people with disabilities who long to engage in sports, including the more dangerous extreme sports. For instance, if you observe the annual X-Games skateboarding tournament, you would be astonished to find disabled skateboarders performing aerial tricks that are challenging for average individuals. Simultaneously, you will notice that the market still lacks professional sports prosthetics specifically designed for these disabled skateboarders.
Research
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Motion analysis
By analyzing the movements of the legs in skateboarding, it is determined which functions a sports prosthesis must fulfill in this context.
Basic Skills
Ollie
Ideation
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Skateboarding demands exceptional strength and balance, largely dependent on ankle movement. Traditional lower leg prostheses, designed for straightforward walking or running, lack the capacity for lateral movement. This limitation shifts the burden of balance and movement to the knee in below-the-knee prosthesis users, increasing the risk of knee strain and injury.There are some new sports prostheses that increase the flexibility of the ankle by introducing spring or soft rubber joints.
My design concept of ankle was inspired by the rubber joint structure in skateboard steering systems, and I have adopted a similar structure in my prosthetic design, aiming to provide a more natural and safer skateboarding experience for prosthetic users.
Prototyping
Upon finalizing the ideation, I crafted a prototype using materials like wood and carbon fiber cloth, and then proceeded to test the dimensions and performance of this prototype.
Final Design
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