Release kinematics of alpine-ski bindings reproduced in test rig

Safety bindings prevent ski injuries by acting as load limiters which release boot from ski when applied forces exceed a preset level.

Safety bindings prevent ski injuries by acting as load limiters which release boot from ski when applied forces exceed a preset level. To insure the accuracy of binding force scales as well as to study the kinematics of various binding types, a special test rig was built by a research team at the Technical University in Munich, West Germany. The rig is unique in that it applies highly precise instrumentation in the measurement of force, torque, and displacement, and enables reproduction of actual skiing conditions.