HAND MADE- HIGH TECHMATERIALSPROCESSESEXPLORATIONADAPTATIONS

The Spaghetti Strings. Strings are part of a tennis racquet which make contact with the ball and they form a woven network inside the head of the racquet. They have a dramatic effect on a player’s performance. Strings have been made with materials like nylon, synthetic gut even metal wire, but the natural gut and polyester are used by the most players today.

Polyester is a stiff and far much durable string material but can lose tension more easily than the natural gut. Despite that, players feel they are able to apply more topspin to balls while maintaining control with polyester strings.

All modern racquets are strung in a cross-hatch pattern (horizontally-vertically). However, in 1971, Werner Fischer, invented the “spaghetti stringing”. His spaghetti racket had 3 planes of non-intercepting strings. The intricate combination of rollers and interlocking ‘spaghetti’ threads allow the strings to deform laterally during impact, storing energy. It generated so much spin on the ball that it was eventually banned by the International Tennis Federation in 1978. One of the problems was that players of relatively low standing were able to beat top players by generating much more spin than the top players could at the time.

The Mistral racing wheelchair. It has been designed to achieve custom built, lightweight as well as inflexible without compromising power, safety and performance.

Manufactured by “Draft Wheelchairs”, is one of the best racing wheelchairs that coming from many years of research and evolution. It is available in an infinite number of alternative configurations looking back to the traditional sitting position and also to todays full solid kneeler with foot pot, designed around the requirements and physique of the athlete, giving the most efficient position for top flight competition.

Some standards features:-Custom built frame.-Wrap round integral mudguards.-Aluminium side guards.-V, open V or T frame styles.-Top steering V handles with integral computer mount.-Strap adjustable back and seat canvas.-622mm/28’’ or 571mm/26’’ handbuilt rear wheels and 18’’ or 20’’ front spoken wheel with Rouson hubs with Velocity rim and double butted spokes.-Push rims 12’’ to 16’’ in 1/2 increments, 14 stand offs.-Camber 11 to 13 degrees.- Campagnolo high quality caliper brake with Dia-Compe adjustable brake level.

“I feel great and nice to finally be on top!”

- Jessica Galli

The frames are built from lightweight aluminium for speed and durability are constructed in V, open V or T styles depending on the lower body of each athlete, and foot plates are added if necessary.

The wheels are designed with either stainless steel spokes for rigidity or carbon fibre bracing/disks that weigh less and can increase speed. The camber gives stability to the chair. The chairs are custom built for each athlete with particular attention paid to the seat to allow optimum body positioning.

An importand opportunity is offered to people with any leg dissability by this wheelchair in order to be fit, active and find their greatness.

A paralympics’ athlete named Jessica Galli states about the chance that the wheelchair gives her: “I feel great and nice to finally be on top!”

Shuttlecock. (commonly known as a bird) It is a high-drag projectile, with an open conical shape: the cone is formed from sixteen overlapping feathers embedded into a rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather or synthetic material.

This is the Carton T800 Synthetic Shuttlecock Speed Slow. A natural cork based shuttlecock with durable synthetic skirt. This type of shuttles is designed specifically for club practise and juniors. The manufacturer is the Carlton Sprots, a leading producer of badminton rackes and shuttlecocks. It was the first which made a one-shot injection molded shuttle skirt.

Synthetic shuttles are often used by recreational players to reduce their costs as feathered shuttles break easily. These nylon shuttles may be constructed with either natural cork or synthetic foam base, and a plastic skirt. Additionally, nylon shuttlecocks come in three varieties, each variety for a different range of temperatures. These three varieties are known as green (slow speed which will give you an extra 40% hang time/shot length), blue (middle speed), and red (fast speed). The colours, and therefore speeds, are indicated by coloured strips fastened around the cork. In colder temperatures, a faster shuttle is used, and in hotter climates, a slower one is chosen.

Kleanthis Michail kleanthis3rdy.gdnm.org

ALL TOGETHERSome of the products consist of similar materials. For example, polyester is used for the raquet strings, (for spaghetti strings as well) and also for the production of the shuttlecocks.

Some of those materials were used in different ways, in which they have successfully created innovative products, providing a safer and easier life to everyone, including people with certain physical disabilities.

They can extend our body parts giving us power and now it’s just the beginning.

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