RTU is Perfecting Two Solutions For Sports Innovation

Evaluating his experience in building sleds for Latvian national team athletes, sled driver Mārtiņš Rubenis saw an opportunity to convert the training into a simpler, but functional product - sleds for children and young people, so that they could learn to ride with quality equipment from an early age, thus learning the chosen one faster sport and reducing the risk of injury from using poor quality or outdated sleds. In addition, it would be useful not only in Latvia: there is also a great need for high-quality, but inexpensive and easy-to-maintain sleds for children and young people in the international sledding sports circuit. A conceptual model of the sled was developed, which then needed to be further adapted to the serial production process.

«Our task was to develop a mold from an existing positive form of the horn, a 3D model, which would make it easier to produce a sledge horn for youth solo sleds. We used the vacuum infusion method as a basis, allows you to fill the inner cavity of the mold with polyester resin or a similar type of material using a vacuum, thus making the process more automated and the final product more homogeneous. We had never worked with such a technology before, so we had to understand how to create a relatively simple template for this geometrically complex shape, while adapting it to a new production process,» explained Pēteris Sala, industrial designer of the RTU Science and Innovation Center Innovative Product Development Department (IPDD).

Additionally, a technological process or scheme was developed to make a part of the bridge that connects the horns to the sledge itself. «Currently, bridges for the needs of athletes are made from a monolithic rectangular piece of iron, from which a U-shaped detail is milled. Consequently, a lot of material is consumed, and CNC milling is a relatively long process that is difficult for young people to afford. Our task was to find a simpler solution, where so much material and time is not consumed, therefore we developed a process where this U-shaped part is obtained because of molding, which can be easily replicated, » said Kristens Raščevskis, head of product development at IPDD. 

When the rest of the prototypes of the sled parts will be finished, the production and sale of sleds will begin. The plan is to continue the creation of new, already larger models suitable for older children, and in the next step - also for young adults. The product is planned to be produced entirely in Latvia, and considering its uniqueness, several sports specialists have already shown interest.

IPIN electronics engineer Raivis Deksnis has also worked on the development of the second prototype - a time and speed recording device for mountain skiers. «I developed all the electronics. I converted and improved the main board - the design that was designed for the client on the prototyping board - so that it is a single electronic board that can be produced industrially and put inside the device in a small series,» he outlined. 
Various innovations are also incorporated in the prototype, such as the 4G model, which records and sends athlete data recorded by the device - start and finish - to the application. The novelty was the work with NFC or «near field communication», a technology that allows the device to obtain information about the participant on the track by reading the participant's badge.

According to the design of the prototype customer Jānis Breže, the new device will be much more convenient and handier in terms of installation and transportation, as well as more cost-effective for sports clubs, schools, and private users. It's app-compatible, offering more configuration options than most alternative devices. It is also planned to continue development so the equipment can be used for various sports and disciplines, not only for mountain skiing. 

«PROTOTECH» is a prototyping program created by the Technology Business Center of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, which provides support to individuals and legal entities in the development and development of prototypes of science-intensive technology products or services, in cooperation with the leading Latvian universities - RTU, the University of Latvia and Riga Stradiņš University. The project is implemented in the Norwegian Financial Instrument 2014-2021 period program «Entrepreneurship development, innovation and small and medium-sized enterprises». Support of 15 thousand euros was received for the development of each of these prototypes.

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