Xenith announced a long-term collaboration with UK-based Rheon Labs LTD., a technology company specializing in energy control and impact mitigation. Xenith, the specialist in football helmet technology and performance products, will collaborate with Rheon across a suite of offerings designed for the football athlete. Xenith’s first product with the Rheon technology will be introduced in early 2020.
“We’re constantly exploring and evaluating technologies at the forefront of innovation to bring to the field,” said Grant C. Goulet, PhD, Xenith vice president of product innovation. “Rheon’s cutting-edge technology will enable a new generation of products with unparalleled energy control. Through thoughtful collaboration with Rheon across research, design, and engineering, we’re poised to deliver products that will truly elevate the athlete’s on-field performance,”
Rheon, invented by Daniel Plant, PhD, is an ultra-energy-absorbing technology that intelligently changes its behavior in response to an impact. The Rheon technology comprises of materials and geometries that provide soft cushioning for the high-occurrence, lower speed impacts, but adapts for optimized protection in high-speed impacts. Plant spent time developing smart textiles for NASA and has created some of the most advanced test rigs in the world in order to simulate real world impacts.
“Protection in American Football has been in the spotlight for the last few years. Collaborating with Xenith’s team gave us the opportunity to bring our technology to an area that is ready for groundbreaking innovation,” said Plant. “It has been an exciting start to our partnership with Xenith, combining our technology with their expertise in performance and protective gear for the football athlete. This marks the start of our collaboration to truly transform products in football over the coming years.”
Rheon delivers energy control across a wide spectrum of impact intensities, and a wide range of temperatures. It is waterproof and washable, and can be molded into unique geometries that add performance and promote cooling. The Rheon material is lightweight, durable, and self-healing. These features lend themselves to a variety of different performance products in the Xenith arsenal.
