Detroit has long been known as “The Automotive Capital of the World,” but now some Motor City engineers are using their auto-industry tech to make sports fields safer.
The engineers at Viconic Sporting, a privately-owned company based in the Metro Detroit city of Dearborn, have created a new energy-absorbing shock pad that can be installed under artificial turf fields and will be commercially available this summer.
This underlayment system, which was adapted from their parent company’s automobile impact-protection technology, can reduce the risk of injury when an athlete hits the turf.
Although many companies offer shock pads for synthetic turf, Viconic’s pad is unique because it features an array of thermoplastic cones that collapse when a player hits the ground.