What is it?
Freja is a project born in 2015. It’s a concept that had the purpose of imagining a security system capable of helping people in the event of an avalanche. We decided to give value to a study that was done starting from the avalanche dangers, understanding what were the real reasons that make it so dangerous and deadly. Starting from a single image that we had kept of the project, we tried to reconstruct the various steps and steps that led us to the realization of the project.
The User - Expert Skier:
We decided to focus on a very specific type of user. The expert skier. We believe that the avalanche danger is much more frequent among users who tend to face difficult routes, off-piste and who are ready and prepared for any eventuality.
The expert skier is prepared, possesses professional equipment and knows the limits of the human being in comparison with that of nature, and for this reason it’s the actor who most has to have a safety system inside his equipment. Expert skiers have numerous safety systems. ARTVA, probes, external airbags and numerous signaling or breathing methods (such as Avalung).
In 2015 there were no systems that avoided some major problems identified within this scenario.
Freja was born to support these shortcomings.
The problem - Death in avalanche:
Analyzing the scenario in which the project was included, we were able to notice how the victims caused by avalanches were indeed an important and urgent problem to solve, (especially in the current year of the project, in the Alpine arc numerous avalanches occurred, with a high number of deaths).
During the development we realized that the most critic cause of death under an avalanche is asphyxia, followed by trauma and injuries and hypothermia. Avalanche death can be caused by several different factors, but all of them depend on how long it takes for relief to reach the victim. Within an avalanche involvement, the only way to be brought to safety depends entirely on external help, which is intended to identify the victim and bring him to safety as soon as possible.
Time, within this project, plays a fundamental role.
The opportunity:
Time was therefore the center of our project. Freja was born with the aim of extending the submersion time under an avalanche, intervening in all the causes that can damage the victim and decrease the chance of rescue. Freja has the ability to intervene by decreasing possible asphyxiation, protecting the user from impacts and avoiding hypothermia, while managing to increase the probability of rescue by approximately 25 minutes.
The Project - Freja:
The jacket features three interfaces simultaneously activated by a compressor. It has outer airbag that grants the flotation when the user gets involved in an avalanche protecting him or her from shocks. Nylon bags aiming to grant the expansion of the thoracic cage avoiding vasoconstriction.
The mask has two purposes:
1. Separating respiratory tracts from the snow, allowing the user to breathe even underneath a few meters of snow and avoiding ice masking.
2. Granting breathing. After 5 minutes from the activation, a timer makes the airbag and the inner bags deflate, sending the breathable air inside the mask for a total of 25 minutes.
Realization:
For this concept we did a lot of research about the human body, trying to understand a possible way to introduce a new system able to support the user in a very complex scenario. A deep research on anatomy, and on which areas of the body were most affected has been fundamental to achieve a result that will protect the weakest areas. After that, a series of sketches and prototypes led us to the realization of the current shape of Freja, developed to be used even during a skiing session.
You can see here the path we took to reach our final shape.
How to use it:
The Freja jacket is a concept designed for professional use. As previously explained, it must be used by expert skiers and for this reason, it requires proper use and preparation. Before putting it on, it is necessary to check the correct connection of the fan (1) on the back, which will be used to inflate the system from the outside. Then it must be worn following the vertical axis of the product (there is no hinge, 2-3). Inside there is a support structure for the pelvis and shoulders (4), light and totally adaptable to the shapes and movements of the body. This is essential to ensure correct operation of the airbag during inflation.
After putting on the jacket (5), it is necessary to check that all the adjustable areas are in perfect fit with the user's body. Side zippers (6) with relative adjustment laces and elastic sleeves (7) are the fundamental points that must be adapted to ensure correct operation.
Then, after having checked that all the fitting components are correctly positioned, it is necessary to test the correct extraction of the activation handle. This, during a dangerous descent, must be kept within reach of the user in case of avalanche danger.
Then, after having checked that all the fitting components are correctly positioned, it is necessary to test the correct extraction of the activation handle. This, during a dangerous descent, must be kept within reach of the user in case of avalanche danger.
How does it work:
During the descent along a possibly dangerous track, the experienced skier must be able to pull the activation lever in case of danger. If the lever is activated, it will activate the rear fan (in a secondary version of the project, it was thought to use pressurized hydrogen cylinders to increase the inflation efficiency), which, in a few seconds, will fill the air with air the 2 Airbags present (both those on the mask and those on the external airbag). These two airbags, once inflated, become the protagonists of the project:
The mask will separate respiratory tracts from the snow, allowing the user to breathe even underneath a few meters of snow and avoiding ice masking, and it will Granting breathing. After 5 minutes from the activation, a timer makes the airbag and the inner bags deflate, sending the breathable air inside the mask for a total of 25 minutes.
The main airbag will act as a shield for the vital areas during the overwhelming avalanche, and subsequently, during the deflection, it will act as a second lung for the user. The air inside the airbag will be channeled into the mask, ensuring breathing.
A bit of lucky:
Freja participated at the Milano Montagna Design Award 2015, in which received the first price in his category. We had then the honor to be published also on Wired website, inside the Tech category. Here you can find the link with all the winners of that contest and an (Italian) explanation of the project.
The Wired publication and the First Price at Milano Montagna Design Award were a push to give value to this concept. Even if it was an old project, we decided to give it a chance, creating new content, process and details. We’re proud of the result, and we suggest to everyone to check into the old ideas, projects and sketches: we’re sure you ll’ find something valuable.
Thank you for watching
