Closer to the end, by Emma Pineda

Time goes by really fast, and we are closer than ever until we present our  product, the AnklePro 360. We have a lot done already, our proposal is almost done, we have two prototypes done, and one prototype that we will test this upcoming week. Our presentation has already been started, and we are also planning on making one more prototype with the materials we ordered, that will also be used on our “final” product.

Since we have started this project, the process had gotten more stressful, more work, and harder at times. There is a lot of research that goes into a project like this, facts, data, we pretty much have to know a lot to make sure that we are doing things correctly.

According to Team USA, roller derby is one of the most rapidly growing sports in the USA,  meaning  that the number of roller derby athletes are joining daily. Which also means that there is much more people to protect on the floor from any big injuries. My group, DerbyPro, is focused on the ankle, which is the most used joint in the sport. The ankle is made of three main articulating bones. tibia, fibula, and talus. Because it’s the most used joint in the sport, it is also the most injured one. When playing derby, the foot is always put in awkward positions, making it more vulnerable to being injured. Some players already wear some sort of protection, but not all, but soon they will with the AnklePro 360.

The Ankle Pro 360, has met or will meet the customer needs that we made in the beginning. We have planned to make it out of a stretchy and breathable material, the ankle brace won’t slip and bother the player at all. We have also cut two holes, one by the toes, and the other one on the heel bone, as seen in the image below, another way that we have done to let the foot breathe too. We also have straps, one on the top wrapping your calf, and the other one on the ankle joint it self. Both were added to add support and to adjust to the foot of the player. Lastly, we have support on the sides of the foot, the support is for the ankle joint two big bones, the tibia and fibula. The support isn’t visible in the image below because it is inside the brace.

The image below, from The Polaris Press, shows us a better image in what our product should fit into. Fitting it into a skate with socks is also a priority, we don’t want the brace to be to snug, and not comfortable. We want the brace to allow all the movements it does regularly, and not restrict anything at all, ankle movement is the key to succeed in roller derby.

 

My group has gone a long way since the beginning, and I am very proud of all the work we have done till now at this point. I know that we will succeed, this is a difficult task, but not impossible. Our product is getting better and better every time, the changes we have done have been great, there are a couple more to do until we have a great final product. I’m not worried about anything, I know that everything will come out great, the process is not easy, but all the stress and hard work will be worth it.