A student in product design at the European Institute of Design of Madrid (IED Madrid), Amaya Núñez Martín, has submitted for her final project a football designed for women, as we have learned from Diffusion Sport.
Named for the huntress of Greek myth, the Atalanta consists of an outer shell and a replaceable inner air bladder. The shell is 3D-printed in EPU 41, a polyurethane resin, with a view towards sustainability – although it is unclear from the IED’s webpage how, by how much or by comparison with what the “ecological impact” is reduced. Apparently, though, the resin requires few iterations for the printing of complex pieces, while the very existence of the shell “diminishes scraps and extends the product’s useful life.” The bladder is made of butyl, a synthetic rubber.
But do women need a special football? According to the IED, perhaps they do. Balls designed for men, it says, impede the performance of female players. The implication is that women, pound for pound, must put more energy into every kick. The result of this repetitive stress can be injured joints and muscles and quicker fatigue.
In addition to breaking down technical and social barriers in women’s football, says the IED, the project meets the demands of Gen Z, which the IED identifies as authenticity, sustainability, diversity and social justice.
