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Having formerly served at the Mechanical and Systems Research Laboratories of ITRI as a deputy engineer, Luo Shi-Dian is widely acknowledged as one of the most brilliant minds in the field of mechanical design and has taken part in the development of high-tech weaponry such as ballistic missiles, optical radar, and countless other projects. However, it seemed that fate had other plans for him when he was struck with a sudden ischemic stroke, which led Luo to ponder a question that had not occurred to him before: what benefits did he bring to himself and humanity after 40 years of dedication to mechanical design?
Luo came across a crossroads in his life at this point and his doctor advised him to spend more time outdoors and on rehabilitation. Luo’s wife then bought two bicycles of decent quality in the hopes of helping Luo to benefit from optimal rehabilitation results through cardio exercises while riding. The truth was, had it not been for the stroke, Luo would still be fully focused on his work of system development and there’s no way he would have given up on his work to engage in outdoor activities. Nonetheless, the experience of cycling wasn’t as pleasant as Luo had imagined it to be.
Surprising Shock-Absorption Results With Self-Modification
“How can anyone find cycling enjoyable when it is this bumpy?” The bumpy rides Luo had on his bicycle made him want to give up cycling altogether, but the thought of leaving idle the bicycle that his wife had painstakingly chosen for him was unbearable as well. It was then that Luo came to an epiphany when he realized he had 40 years of experience in mechanical design: “I will simply design and modify a shock absorber myself!” After a series of physical assessments, Luo came to the conclusion that the stem has to be the best place to install the shock absorber because it has the least impact in terms of force exertion and coordination while offering the best physical results of shock dampening.
And within just a day, Luo had accomplished something right in his workshop that no one else had attempted – a rudimentary modification of a device crafted with precision equipment at the workshop. After installing the shock absorber on the stem of his bike, Luo took his invention for a trial run by riding on a section of mountain road. He was immensely impressed by the dramatic improvement in terms of the degree of comfort and shock absorption of his riding experience. Not only that, he also noticed significant improvement in the bicycle’s grip over pebble surfaces and corners and the control from the handlebar on high-speed downhill slopes. Luo was so surprised that he found himself uttering, “This is incredible!”
Dramatically Enhanced Safety That Stands Up to EU Requirements
After cycling had been made easy and fun with his invention, Luo would cycle on almost a daily basis and consequently made a noticeable recovery from his rehabilitation. He realized that if his invention could overcome the issues of hand numbness and shoulder muscle soreness from long rides, average consumers would be able to benefit from improved health and comfort and have more fun when cycling. It was such a thought that gave Luo the idea to share his joy with others by turning his improvised “stem shock absorber” into a commercial product.
While innovation might have been easy for Luo, turning his invention into a product meant that the product must accommodate the needs of the market and consumers. In order to create a product of adequate safety, Luo decided to challenge the stringent EU vibration test, which involves subjecting a sample to withstand 100,000 vibration cycles. In his initial design, Luo’s sample would deteriorate in performance after merely 300 vibrations, and the stress of development resulted in numerous sleepless nights. Luo’s eureka moment came to him one day in the wee hours of the morning and from that idea he created a unique suspension system that would only suffer from minuscule wear and tear even after 200,000 vibration cycles.
“MIT” Research and Development Aimed at Improving Consumer Health
By incorporating cutting-edge technology in a bicycle part, Gripfast is the latest solution for comfort and safety in mankind’s 200-year history of cycling. Featuring a unique physical structure and construction, Gripfast is capable of dampening as much as 63% of shocks from the road surface. This innovative product has already received patents in China and Taiwan, in addition to the Award for Innovative Design in the 2012 Taipei International Cycle Show.
While sharing his thoughts on the invention that stemmed from a mini stroke, Luo humbly noted that, “‘Insistence’ and ‘Innovation’ are of the utmost importance as far as mechanical design is concerned; seeing how my will power has not dwindled in the past 40 years, I would like to find out if I could find the road to success in the domain of design.” Luo sincerely hopes that his “MIT stem shock absorber” would not only deliver improved health to consumers but also get the opportunity for international marketing in order to secure a place for MIT innovations to shine in the international bicycle business.
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