Jacqueline Chen
Industrial design 6
DNH603_19se2
Iterative Design of Impact-Damping Gloves for Safer Boxing
Abstract
• The laboratory testing methods were evolved over time to enhance test reliability and ecological validity
• compared to standard boxing gloves
- pneumatic gloves with sealed bladders were effective in reducing peak impact forces
- peak rates of force development (when impact magnitudes were low to moderate but not when they were high)
• proven critical to their acceptance
- aesthetics of the gloves
- Wearer comfort
- the concept of thumbless gloves
Introduction
• Between 1890 and 2007, there was an average of more than 10 deaths per year from acute injuries received in boxing (amateur boxers accounting for almost a quarter)
• Sociologists have claimed that boxing has negative effects by overtly glamorising and rewarding violent conduct and is exploitative of vulnerable young people
• to address objections to boxing through modifications to the rules and equipment
• After many years of coaching conventional amateur boxing, spent five years running a modified boxing program at a Police Community Youth Club (PCYC) in Canberra
- high value on safety
- incorporate various safety procedures
+ deployment of impact-damping gloves
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Initial Attempt to Reproduce Pneumatic Gloves
Figure 1. Front and side views of early prototype pneumatic gloves designed to resemble those produced six decades ago in Finland.
Figure 2. Equipment set-up for drop-weight and INSTRON testing of prototype gloves and air-filled foam materials.
Alteration of Fist Position Relative to Glove Padding
Figure 3. Modified boxing contest with gloves incorporating altered relationship between fist position and padding. Fist was contained in area of glove shown by white circles.
Highly Deformable Gloves
Figure 4. Construction of highly deformable prototype gloves.
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The end-section of a standard training glove was cut off and replaced by a sewn-on, stretchable lycra bag with a sealable opening for insertion of a small spherical bladder, which could then be inflated.
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A second lycra bag could subsequently be pulled over the whole complex to provide shape and stability and to enclose the thumb.
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A glove with fist in position behind the bladder is shown on the bottom right
• comments from two experienced boxing coaches who were present at the event:
Coach 1: “The gloves helped in achieving tonight’s intended purpose. It was possible to assess the movement abilities of the athletes without exposing them to significant risk. To evaluate the potential of the athletes for boxing, it will still be necessary to see how they react to taking a solid punch, but tonight the gloves were central to a useful game. I think that when the big boys were involved and there were some power punches, the bladders sometimes bent under allowing the knuckles to make contact, so there are perhaps some design issues that need further attention. For kids, though, the gloves already could be great in allowing safer learning of boxing skills.”
Coach 2: “I had some initial reservations about using the gloves as I thought it would be better to see how the athletes respond to being hit. However, I now think the gloves worked very well with the game the athletes played. I don’t think the gloves are appropriate for established boxers but they could be used for beginners, especially kids.”
Refinement of Highly Deformable Gloves
Figure 5. Prototype low-impact gloves with additional foam added to perimeter of glove to increase protection against impacts delivered with a part of the glove other than the bladder. The white areas at the top of the gloves are electrically conductive patches that formed part of automated scoring technology used in Box’ Tag
A Breakthrough: Building of Gloves around Bladders
Figure 6. Overview of the construction of the first prototype low-impact gloves designed around the bladder.
Further Key Enhancements - Greater Visual Resemblance to Conventional Boxing Gloves and More Robust Construction
Figure 7. The first prototype low-impact gloves made by Stellen Studio, Canberra, Australia, with mechanism for easy inflation and deflation incorporated.
Figure 8. Low-impact gloves with hemispherical bladder, improved wrist support and inclusion of new leather sections providing the gloves with the appearance of having thumb compartments.
Experimentation with Hole Pattern for Air Exchange and Importance of Bladder Foam Density
Figure 9. Gloves used in testing the effects of a new pattern of air openings and variation in foam characteristics of the bladder skeleton on the impact damping performance of ARLI gloves.
Another Field Trial
Figure 10. ARLI gloves of the type provided for the field trial in Sydney.