Jean-Yves Blondeau
Encyclopedia
Jean-Yves Blondeau also known as "Rollerman", is a French
designer
who is best known for inventing the 31-wheel roller suit.
, Savoy
, France
to Paul Blondeau and Micheline Blondeau. He has four brothers and a sister.
s (similar to those found on rollerblades) on most of the major joint
s, the torso
, and the back. The wearer can ride in a variety of positions (upright, prone, supine, on all fours, etc.) at speeds of up to 70 mph (116 km/h) in downhill. He has been featured on television shows in several countries on all continents. The buggy rollin wheel suit can be practiced on any similar surface as roller skate.
He carried out the roller suit as part of his graduation project at the industrial design school École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art
(also known as the Olivier de Serres) in Paris. The study theme was: "systems that underline the sensations caused by the displacement of the human center of gravity
in relation to support points in order to move into space". The research phase lasted for 6 months, followed by 1 month of synthesis and 2 months for producing the prototype
. Then followed a year of secret patent
application writing, finally published in June 1995.
Since then, six generations of buggy-rollins have been elaborated. They include different creations from the most basic kneepad with rollers to the most sophisticated one called "Super Rollin Bionic Woman" (SURBO). The prototypes have evolved into safer, more comfortable and easier machines that can be adapted to all different morphologies.
Two of his suits can be seen in a short scene partway through the end credits of the 2008 Jim Carrey
film Yes Man
. Two other suits were featured in a commercial for Mennen
filmed in South Africa
and intended for distribution in South America
in 2010. He also featured in a commercial for Megapass
, a broadband telecommunication service in South Korea
. In 2011 he took part in Stan Lee's Superhumans
TV program.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
who is best known for inventing the 31-wheel roller suit.
Biography
Jean-Yves Blondeau was born in 1970 in Aix-les-BainsAix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated on the shore of Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-Geography:...
, Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to Paul Blondeau and Micheline Blondeau. He has four brothers and a sister.
Buggy rollin
Jean-Yves Blondeau is the inventor of the 31-wheel roller suit (also known as the wheel suit or buggy rollin). This suit places a number of rollerRoller
The rollers are an Old World family, Coraciidae, of near passerine birds. The group gets its name from the aerial acrobatics some of these birds perform during courtship or territorial flights. Rollers resemble crows in size and build, and share the colourful appearance of kingfishers and...
s (similar to those found on rollerblades) on most of the major joint
Joint
A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally.-Classification:...
s, the torso
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
, and the back. The wearer can ride in a variety of positions (upright, prone, supine, on all fours, etc.) at speeds of up to 70 mph (116 km/h) in downhill. He has been featured on television shows in several countries on all continents. The buggy rollin wheel suit can be practiced on any similar surface as roller skate.
He carried out the roller suit as part of his graduation project at the industrial design school École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art
École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art
The École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers, also called the École des Arts Appliqués or Olivier de Serres and abbreviated to ENSAAMA, is a post-baccalauréat teaching establishment for the decorative arts in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, France.- History :ENSAAMA's ancestry...
(also known as the Olivier de Serres) in Paris. The study theme was: "systems that underline the sensations caused by the displacement of the human center of gravity
Center of gravity
In physics, a center of gravity of a material body is a point that may be used for a summary description of gravitational interactions. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of mass serves as the center of gravity...
in relation to support points in order to move into space". The research phase lasted for 6 months, followed by 1 month of synthesis and 2 months for producing the prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
. Then followed a year of secret patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
application writing, finally published in June 1995.
Since then, six generations of buggy-rollins have been elaborated. They include different creations from the most basic kneepad with rollers to the most sophisticated one called "Super Rollin Bionic Woman" (SURBO). The prototypes have evolved into safer, more comfortable and easier machines that can be adapted to all different morphologies.
Two of his suits can be seen in a short scene partway through the end credits of the 2008 Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
film Yes Man
Yes Man (film)
Yes Man is a 2008 comedy film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel and starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Rhys Darby, Maile Flanagan, Danny Masterson, and Terence Stamp...
. Two other suits were featured in a commercial for Mennen
Mennen
Mennen is a brand owned in most parts of the world by the Colgate-Palmolive Company. Its most notable product, Mennen Speed Stick, with its fougère perfume and green wide stick, was the market leader among deodorants and antiperspirants for men for many years...
filmed in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and intended for distribution in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in 2010. He also featured in a commercial for Megapass
Megapass
Megapass is a broadband telecommunication service offered by KT Corporation . Formerly Korea Telecom, KT Corporation is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.-Features:...
, a broadband telecommunication service in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. In 2011 he took part in Stan Lee's Superhumans
Stan Lee's Superhumans
Stan Lee's Superhumans is a documentary television series that debuted August 5, 2010 on History. It is hosted by comic book superhero creator Stan Lee and follows contortionist Daniel Browning Smith, "the most flexible man in the world", as he searches the globe for real-life superhumans – people...
TV program.
External links
- Buggy Rollin Official Website
- Jean-Yves Blondeau at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....