McLaren Applied Technologies, the advanced technology, innovation and design subsidiary of McLaren Group, has revealed the latest addition to its portfolio of personalised healthcare solutions – Project Invincible, a chest shield made from materials meant for next year’s Formula 1 car.

Project Invincible is in response to a challenge from an anonymous ‘Client X’, who asked the company to design a device to help protect his vital organs after surgery. McLaren Applied Technologies collaborated with McLaren Racing to manufacture the Invincible shield that utilises Zylon fibres, a material used by all F1 teams as part of their cars’ side penetration protection.

The multi-material shield features high-failure strain Dyneema fibres (as used in body armour) for damage containment and a highly-toughened resin system with woven fabrics for impact resistance. The result is a shield capable of protecting vital organs, including the heart and the lungs, with the garment providing further protection from unexpected low energy impact.

The client required the shield be discreet beneath a shirt; the team began with a full 3D scan of the customer’s body to fully understand the challenge of creating and constructing an entirely custom-fitted body structure. They also obtained medical images from the client’s doctor, which helped them to gain a detailed understanding of the protection required to ensure the final product was a perfect fit for the customer’s body.

Check out the video above to see the story of its creation.