McLaren Develops Carbon Fiber Chest Shield
Meet Project Invincible.
McLaren may have its foot planted firmly on the gas pedal of the automotive industry, but when a client tasked it with creating a protective piece of personalized healthcare, it happily obliged. The result? Project Invincible.
Intended to protect vital organs after surgery, Project Invincible utilizes the same materials from McLaren’s F1 entries to create a lightweight shield of impenetrable carbon fiber to protect the heart and lungs while a bespoke base layer — complete with a Velcro interface — attaches the shield to the wearer. Between the base layer and the carbon fiber are a trio of non-Newtonian gel pads that work to disperse impact across the shield itself in order to absorb a blow. And, to make sure Project Invincible fits perfectly, McLaren even conducted a three-dimensional scan of the client before crafting the shield.
Check out te video above for an in-depth look at the work that went into the design.