Charles Nicolson and Tony Kemp teamed up to produce the padded rugby suit. Photo / Brett Phibbs
A new form of electronically assisted rugby using a padded suit and sensors has been designed to get modern children off the couch and back on the turf.
It will be unveiled at Massey University's Design Exposure 2008 exhibition, beginning next Monday at the Marine Events Centre (the
former Alinghi compound) in the Viaduct Marine Village.
The suit includes sensors belted to the player's hips and gloves designed to set the sensors off when a player's hand passes within 5cm of them.
Dreamed up by former Warriors coach Tony Kemp and made real by Massey University industrial design student Charles Nicolson, the suit will be one of more than 50 designs on display at the exhibition.
Other exhibits include an electric-powered motorbike and a model of an electric car designed to allow the driver to hand control to the vehicle.
Kemp said the rugby suit would be officially launched next year, with the rules for the new rugby game he has developed to go with it.
While cagey about that game's new rules, he said they would involve the 10 players on each team being intimately involved in play all the time.
His concept had come from the realisation that children today valued computer games above playing sports.
"We've had a hundred years of rugby, and we haven't moved with the times. Technology has left us behind."
Mr Nicolson said their research proved children wanted technology to be a part of their outdoor games.
"The kids are changing to this world of technology, while we're asking them to play this sport that was developed 200 years ago. So this [game] is bridging that gap."
