Daniel Paul Behrner, Nicholas Caros, Negin Jahan Afrooz, Ashley Marshall, Brendan Morgan, James Roberts, James Zago.
Modern motorcyclists are faced with a tough decision while riding in warm climates: wear heavy, insulating protective gear and be uncomfortably warm, or risk personal safety and ride in lighter clothing. This project aims to provide riders with a third option: wear a protective jacket that regulates its own temperature, keeping the rider at a comfortable temperature. Several options currently exist, but are limited in cooling power, cooling time or severely inconvenience the rider. The presented design allows motorcyclists to stay comfortable for long periods of time in any climate with a minimal increase in weight. Using a heat pump and a specialized phase-change material built into the fabric, the jacket can be cooled at home or while riding and maintains cooling ability even after being disconnected from the heat pump. This new way of approaching the problem will encourage more riders to wear protective gear, reducing injuries incurred in case of an accident. It will also prevent overheating and hyperthermia in riders who choose to wear full gear. “Accidents hurt – safety doesn’t.”