Richard Palmer demonstrates the shock absorption of his product d3o

d3o - a new entrant to the defence market

Richard Palmer is new to the defence market. An entrepreneur with a background in design and engineering (he is a graduate of the Royal College of Art and has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London) he is an example of how CDE is reaching out and opening doors to small dynamic companies with an interest in defence. Codex visited Hove to find out about his company and his experience using CDE.

Palmer is busy, with a schedule that takes him round the world promoting his product and dealing with the numerous companies that use d3o. He sees this as an important part of what he and his company of 20 employees offer, involvement in the innovation process with the aim of producing new products that frequently break the mould of traditional solutions.

Although they do not make any products themselves, Palmer says he is inundated with requests to use the technology but is determined to limit roll-out to where it can make a real difference: “There are so many different applications that sometimes the problem is when to say no!”

So what is this magical material that is finding its way into so many different applications? Pronounced 'dee-three-oh' - it is a specially engineered material made with intelligent molecules. “They flow with you as you move but, on shock, lock together to absorb the impact energy,” explains Palmer. “It is sensitive to the speed of movement and is a very flexible material with phenomenal shock absorption. The outer shell is moulded to the body and spreads the impact giving superior protection.”

Of course Palmer is not about to divulge how he managed to do this, but the product is now used by sports professionals, the emergency services and a number of other areas. He believes that the technology can be of use to defence and has been pleased to discover CDE which has helped him enter what he had previously perceived to be a difficult market for an 'outsider' to penetrate.

Palmer was advised to contact the newlyfounded CDE soon after it had opened its online doors to innovators in May last year. By September he had finalised his online application and by the end of the same month received a decision that he had the funding he required.

CDE also helped him to develop his proposal to investigate the use of d3o in helmet protection by introducing him to military and MOD advisers who were able to advise him on their requirements. Another outcome of his application was an invitation to present at a NATO conference held in Prague last year which focused on the results of research into materials and technologies for international cooperation for the 'future soldier'.

Palmer's helmet programme is progressing well and he is already looking at a new project on knee and elbow protection to fit in with the Personal Equipment and Common Operational Clothing (PECOC) programme.

CDE funding has meant that he has been able to justify putting resources into developing d3o for military requirements. It has also given him opportunities to develop a relationship with MOD and given him access to the end user - the front line soldier who will gain from the protection of d3o in the future.

As a new entrant into the defence market, Palmer is fully supportive of CDE and their approach to innovation: “Working with MOD is different and the nice thing for us, as a design-centric company, is that they recognise that the emotional response to products is important. Interaction with a product is both functional and emotional and we try to get ourselves embedded with the user so that we understand their needs. CDE has enabled us to do that.”