MINNEAPOLIS (June 23, 2020) — In a major step forward, Davenport SAF-T Systems is collaborating with a team of senior engineering students at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minn.) to develop a first generation prototype of the SAF-T VEST.
As a senior design clinic sponsor, Davenport SAF-T Systems, including founder Jay A. Davenport, M.D., will provide guidance to these young engineers and answer key questions about our concept as they move through various stages of development.
In return, the team will keep us updated on a regular basis on their progress and any challenges they may be facing along the way. The students will generate critical data necessary to building a prototype that functions as designed.
As the project sponsor, we are asked to pay a sponsorship fee of $3,000 to the University of St. Thomas to cover project expenses, including materials used to develop the prototype. This is a phenomenal bargain in the world of engineering and technology development–but a major financial challenge for our small, non-revenue startup.
The company has set up a Go Fund Me site to help meet this financial obligation. Your donation of any amount will help advance this work and provide engineering students the opportunity to play a major role in the development of the SAF-T VEST.
Learn more at https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-up-for-fall-protection.
Thank you for your support as we Stand Up For Fall Protection.
About Davenport SAF-T Systems
Davenport SAF-T Systems is developing the SAF-T VEST, a wearable technology designed to reduce the risk of injury in falls. Injuries suffered from falls are a growing public health crisis. In 2015, the direct medical cost of fall injuries in the U.S. topped $50 billion.
Invented by founder Jay A. Davenport, M.D., a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, The SAF-T VEST is equipped with sensors that continuously monitor the user’s center of balance. When an unrecoverable fall is detected, a microprocessor will trigger a network of airbags to inflate in a fraction of a second, absorbing the impact of the fall and deflating rapidly for a soft landing. The airbags protect the pelvis, hips, upper extremities and head.