Roller Skates Take to the Woods

Before the snow fell last fall, Professor John Collier '72, Th' 77 asked his Introduction to Engineering class to "design something new in transportation." This was a progressive class with only the future in mind. What does the world really need? he asked. And they answered: New roller skates.

Traditional in-line skates don't handle obstacles well and one really can't go far off the paved road. A tougher version of skates could allow the tougher version of skaters to take to the woods. After extensive testing with robots and with humans in the field, the students developed a product called Trail Blades.

These skates resemble the road version but have two big wheels—one on each end—and a braking system. The tires are rubber, treadless, and air-filled for bouncing over ruts and rocks. The brakes are attached to each back wheel and are applied by a caliper held in the hands. The brake cable attaches to the leg with a Velcro strap to avoid snags. Most important, the skates look really slick. The students topped their invention off with a video showing a pair of women stylishly hurtling down the campus golf course's Freshman Hill.

Is this blend of mountain biking and roller blading— the next craze? Professor Collier says that the students might pursue a patent. But this is academics, and Collier reminds us that the real emphasis of the class is to "learn the techniques of problem solving." Part two should come after graduation: the techniques of becoming fabulously wealthy.