Tuning frictional behavior on the fly has been a long-standing engineering dream. This new insight into how surface geometry governs slip pulses paves the way for tunable frictional metamaterials that can transition from low-friction to high-grip states on demand.
Rimpact's Chain Damper was launched in 2024, and since then, interest in drivetrain feedback mitigation seems to be gaining momentum. The fact that current World Cup DH ruler Jackson Goldstone uses a similar device on his bike has likely caused quite a spike in interest. On their part, Rimpact supported 15 World Cup DH Teams through last season, and they're expecting that number to grow this year.