When someone does something very bold, we have to acknowledge it. To me, Richard Browning is doing something bold. Browning is the founder of Gravity Industries, but ever since, he debuted his company about four years ago, and performed his first human flight, he is referred to as a “real-life Iron Man”.
Furthermore, since his first human flight, the company has decided to leverage metal 3D printing to manufacture the next-generation of his suit with wings. Even though no feedback was given about this collaboration with TESTED, the company has continued to push the development of its Jet Suits forward. AM is still part of its production methods and this time, Ricoh 3D will support that innovation by combining 3D printing and Polypropylene.
The choice for polypropylene lies in the fact that it is strong, chemically resistant, lightweight, and flexible material, characteristics that will be required for the fabrication of prototypes that will make human flight a reality.
Both partners will develop the Gravity eSuit – an electric version of the Jet Suit – which will be revealed at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Gravity’s decision to work with Ricoh 3D stemmed from their desire to build Jet Suits that blend mind, body, and machine, which ultimately required a material that mimicked organic matter and would enable a flight experience that was both comfortable and safe. Ricoh’s flagship material, polypropylene, ticked every box.
“Our partnership with Ricoh 3D has shown that anything is possible when you blend together entrepreneurship and technological innovation. Humans are extremely robust, and that’s down to the forgiving nature of our bodies – we bend and flex, reducing the impact when we fall. That’s what polypropylene mimics. I’ve always had a passion for unusual challenges and venturing into the unknown, so it’s incredible to see the dream ignite into life. We’ve built up an amazing global footprint since 2017, and Ricoh has enabled us to transform an ‘impossible’ idea into something viable for production”, Browning said.
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