Recoil

RAEng 1851 Enterprise Fellow 2017

Victoria Hamilton

VH Innovation Ltd is the registered business of the brand Recoil, which in June 2016 brought to market its first product – The Recoil Omniflex 1.0.

Recoil Knee pads originated as part of a final year design project at The University of Strathclyde. Victoria Hamilton, a final year product design engineering student, responded to the needs of her father, a tradesman, to design a new knee pad that offers better comfort and protection than current solutions available on the market.

Recoil

The idea which she developed utilised a double layer system with springs sandwiched between, with the idea this new design would absorb impact and spread pressure evenly across the knee joint. In addition, the double layer system would provide a flat outer surface providing maximum grip of the ground, while a curved inner surface would cradle the knee and provide maximum comfort. The springs sandwiched between would account for the difference in surface and allow the wearer to have full 360 degree movement without feeling a build-up of pressure on sensitive areas of the knee.

Evidence from a study undertaken by the bioengineering department at Strathclyde University has demonstrated that this design is scientifically proven to reduce pressure on the knee by up to 76% – a 20% improvement on the next best gel competitor also tested during the study.

The next stage in the business development is now to scale up sales internationally and look to develop a second variation of the product – Omniflex 2.0. Over the course of the RAEng 1851 Fellowship Recoil will be looking to grow its market presence and market awareness both in the UK and abroad.

www.recoilkneepads.com