Product development students and volleyball players are joining forces with an ambitious goal in mind: to develop an innovative sports bra. Antwerp meets West Flanders in this project: 'Who knows, our bra might go into production.'
The festive opening of the new sports hall on Campus Drie Eiken was immediately followed by some sporting action. On the programme: a volleyball match between VLAMVO Vlamertinge and Brabo Antwerp Volley. After an exciting match, the West Flemish team ultimately won the game. But the outcome was not the most important: the match, for which Minister of Sport Annick De Ridder did the toss (and took the first serve), is the start of an ambitious and innovative project by the University of Antwerp.
The main players in the project are four master's students in product development and fourteen players from VLAMVO. The goal: to develop a new sports bra specifically designed for volleyball and other jumping sports. And there is definitely a need for this, says Saartje Masschaele. She is a setter for the West Flemish team, which is competing in the second national division this season.
Innovative sports bra for jumping sports
“In the team, the sports bra is quite an issue. It is often a burden for volleyball players. There are sports bras on the market, but there is very little variety in the range. Usually, there are only a few sizes available, while the bust size differs from player to player. We are looking forward to this project. It’s great to be involved in such a scientific design process, with dynamic measurements and so on. And with UAntwerp, our team now has a great sponsor, of course.”
Janne Huys, Marte Cornelis, Feiye Berckmans and Merel Gielis are the product developers on duty. For six months, the quartet will be working on the project as part of an elective course. ‘We’re really looking forward to it,’ they say. “In our programme, we often work on projects, but once they’re finished, that’s usually the end of it. There’s more to this: who knows, maybe our bra will actually go into production… But that’s still a long way off, of course.”
Scientific research and soft skills
Over the coming months, the students will be collecting lots of data, measuring the players (perhaps even with a 4D scanner), designing and making prototypes. "We've already made contact with lingerie manufacturers. The biggest challenges? That will probably be ergonomics and usability, user-friendliness. Another big plus for us: we will not only be able to practise our design techniques, but also our soft skills: communicating well with the players will be important."
The biggest challenges? That will probably be ergonomics and usability, user-friendliness.
‘Our university is a pioneer in citizen science,’ says Elisabeth Vanhoutte, head of the Marketing and Communication Department. ‘Think, for example, of Curieuzeneuzen and De Oorzaak. We want to add an extra dimension with this new project. We bring researchers and students together with another community, in this case a sports club. We want to intertwine these different partners. That way, we cannot only tell people what UAntwerp stands for, we can actually do it, make an impact and make it visible.'