New Socks for
Ice Hockey Players to Protect Foot and Ankle Injuries
What I did
Research, Ideation, Prototype
Duration
Five days (Spring 2023)
Tools
Google Slides, Lazor cutter, 3D printer
Prototype
Overview
Context
Five-day hackathon collaboration between NFL team Pittsburgh Penguins, material manufacturer Covestro, and Carnegie Mellon University to develop new solutions to protect NHL players from ankle and foot injuries when the players so shot blocking during the game.
Challenge
There are several existing shot blockers on the market, but they are not used by many players due to their weight and bulkiness. We were challenged by one of the NFL teams, the Penguins, to invent a new shot blocker that players would actually want to use.
Process
Information session by Penguins, Covestro, and sports doctors at UPMC
Discover
(0.5 day)
Develop
Define
(1 day)
Deliver
Interview with NHL players
Desktop Research
Quick Survey
Ideation
Expert sessions
with Covestro and professors
Prototyping
Experimental Test
Iteration
(3.5 days)
Team
I collaborated with three undergrad students with the following backgrounds.
- Mechanical Engineering (2 people)
- Civil Engineering
What is Shot Blocking?
Why Foot and Ankle Injuries?
Reducing the chances of foot and ankle injuries will save NHL players.
Reason #1
Foot and ankle injuries are
the second most common injuries
(6-17%) in the NHL after head injuries.
Reason #2
Foot and ankle injuries
sidelined players in 10.6 of 82 games
per season.
Existing Shot Blockers
Existing shot blockers are not widely used by players
because of their bulkiness, weight, and appearance.
Honestly, I don't want to use current shot blockers.
Amanda Kessel, NHL player
Insights
We found two insights from the interview with NHL players.
Insight #1
Players care not only about functionality but also about looks.
“Honestly, the current products aren't very cool.”
( Amanda Kessel, NHL player)
Insight #2
Players want to skate faster on the rink to enhance their performance.
“I feel like if the shoes are too heavy,
I won't be able to skate as fast as I want to.”
(Tyler Kennedy, NFL player)
Solution
The best shot-blocking socks
for ice hockey players that also boost their speed
SHOCK SOCK
Ideas
To create a new shot blocker that players would actually want to use,
we developed an innovative solution that not only improves on what is poor about
the existing product but also helps players perform better.
Focus on vulnerable areas
To make the shot blocker lighter, we decided to focus on the most vulnerable areas that the doctor mentioned, rather than the entire foot.
Focus on the inside of the shoes
We found that players tended to be less inclined to use shot blockers if there were unnecessary modifications to the outside appearance, so we decided to redesign the inside of the shoes.
Get Inspiration from NIKE Vaporfly
We sought ways to incorporate features that would improve the players' performance, just as Nike's Vaporfly cleverly combines materials and construction to help runners run more efficiently,
so did our solution.
Final Poster
