INSIDE GORE’S ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING CHAMBER, THE AMBIENT AIR temperature is a balmy 35°C. Huge lights on the seven-metre-high domed ceiling beat down. Near one of the treadmills, a tester named Walter is running in place. He’s an integral part of the research team, who’s there every day, helping scientists test new outdoor apparel. He’s got sensors on his body measuring sweat rate, skin temperature, and range of motion. There are also hoses coming out of his eye sockets.
Walter, as you may have guessed, is not actually a human. He’s a $400 000 (±R6.6 million) mannequin, to be exact, with more than 100 sweating pores on his fibreglass and carbon-fibre body. And he’s just one of the high-tech tools in the fabric and manufacturing company’s $5 million biophysics lab at it’s Elkton, Maryland, R&D facility.
Next to Walter, a college student from nearby University of Delaware jogs on an inclined treadmill, wearing sunglasses and a lightweight wind shell. He’s strapped with a heart-rate monitor and has swallowed a thermometer the size of two Advil gel capsules that’s measuring his core temperature and sending real-time readings to the lab’s computers through a radio signal. Gore’s lab technicians will use this and other data to develop some of the most technologically advanced outdoor apparel on the market.
Denne historien er fra September/October 2020-utgaven av Popular Mechanics South Africa.
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Denne historien er fra September/October 2020-utgaven av Popular Mechanics South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Can a retired rocket engine take us to Mars?
The space shuttle's main engine was mothballed with the programme in 2011. Now NASA believes it's the future of interplanetary travel.
6 metre waves. All engines on fire. 1 500 Km from land.
How Flying Tiger 923 and its 'miracle pilot' made an impossible ocean landing.
Land Rover Discovery D300
A FEW MONTHS ago a $2 billion lottery jackpot was won in the United States. It’s fun to sometimes ponder outrageous winnings like that, and how I’d spend it, even if it’s completely detached from reality.
Volkswagen Taigo R-Line 1.0 TSI
The compact proportions make this a delightful daily commuter.
Mazda CX-5 2.2 L De Akera AWD
Floor the pedal and overtaking is achieved easily and safely.
Making the most out of your grinder
THE HUMBLE BENCH GRINDER IS A STAPLE of the handyworker's home shop, largely due to its versatility. But, while you can employ one to remove metal from just about anything, the traditional kind may not provide the precision you need for every grinding operation. Here, we shed light on the best ways to use the different types of grinders, gleaned from our testing.
Unlock your devices' full potential with a USB-C hub
AS NEW TECH SHRINKS EACH YEAR, essential ports such as USB-A, HDMI, and ethernet are being replaced by the slimmer USB-C.
WE BUILT THE WORLD'S FIRST V-8 TESLA
THE RICH REBUILDS TEAM HAD A DEAD MODEL S. THEY FIXED IT WITH A CAMARO ENGINE.
I bought a GHOST TOWN
This abandoned California mining village once had 400 buildings. Now I'm restoring the 20 that remain.
F1 taught me that speed starts with comfort
AS A FAN OF MOTORSPORT, I'M ALWAYS fascinated with the finer details that go into Formula One racing. Piloting the fastest racing cars on the planet subjects drivers to savage forces - up to 6 G's under braking which has led to an almost endless pursuit of comfort.
