The Carbon Fibre Gladiator Suit That Takes a Real Beating

Unified Weapons Master, a start-up company based in Australia wants to bring Gladiators back (minus the killing bit at the end) and has spent the past couple of years creating a revolutionary, new combat sport that blends cutting-edge technology with traditional martial arts to allow real, weapons-based combat. To enable these modern gladiatorial scraps, the company has created the Lorica, a suit of armour made from carbon fibre, polycarbonate materials and elastomeric foam. These materials combine to create a suit that can stand up to a real beating, allowing the wearer to absorb the impact of a weapon and escape unscathed.

Underneath the armour is a range of vibration sensors and accelerometers that detect where the fighter lands a hit on the opponent and measures the severity of the blow. The team also plans to include technology to monitor biometric data including heart-rates, oxygen saturation levels and body temperature, giving useful insights into the health of the combatants. This data will then be fed back from the suit to a special ringside computer that monitors the fighters and keeps score.

By John Shury@compositestoday