Made in U.Porto technology wins AuxDefense 2018 Innovation Prize

The Rheinforce technology, developed by researchers of the Faculty of Engineering of Porto University (FEUP), Francisco Galindo Rosales and Laura Campo Deaño, was recently awarded the AuxDefense 2018 Innovation Prize, the most important International conference on defence advanced materials.

The Rheinforce is a composite that allows its users to alter the shock absorbing properties of the materials, such as cork, silicone or rubber, modifying the impact force.

In the AuxDefense context, helmets can be subject to strong impacts, and by using the Rheinforce fluid and embedding it in the canal network, "it is possible to customize the material's mechanic properties, thus reducing impact force", as explained by Francisco Rosales.

This technology can also be applied to other materials as shin guards for football players and surf boards or even to reduce excessive vibration or noise.

The AuxDefense 2018 Conference was held at the University of Minho, on 3 and 4 September.