WAE, the engineering services and technology business of the Williams Group of companies, has made its first entry into the sports equipment market by designing and manufacturing a state of the art hand cycle for disabled athletes that utilises Formula One bred design principles and components.
The hand cycle has been designed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) by Williams’ team of aerodynamicists to ensure that its shape is optimised to reduce drag. The hand cycle is also made of the latest carbon composite materials to keep it lightweight and strong. The hand cycle has also been redesigned for better usability with easier access to gear changes for the rider.
Speaking about the project Craig Wilson, Managing Director of WAE, said; “WAE’s mantra is bringing Formula One derived technology and know-how into a range of market sectors to drive performance improvements. We have a traditional strength in the automotive and motorsport sectors, but this project has been our first foray into sports equipment outside of motorsport. The parallels between designing and manufacturing a Formula One car and a premium competition-ready bike are evident, with aerodynamics and lightweight materials key to performance, so this is a logical step for us to take.”
The technology will be commercially available through WAE as a bespoke low volume product for elite competition use in Spring 2017.
