Aircraft seats. Football helmets. Hospital beds. Prostheses. Shoes. Pillows. Mattresses. What do all of these have in common? They’re just a few examples in a wide ranging list of health and safety items, and other products that have been revolutionised by the invention of what we know today as Memory Foam.
From not so humble beginnings…
It’s often been the case in history that a high concept invention ends up being such a success that it gets used for multiple applications other than the original. Memory Foam is one such invention – commissioned by none other than NASA.
Back in the 60s, NASA was just launching its Space Program, but was still strongly focused on improving the field of aeronautics. One problem they wanted to solve was improving the shock-absorption capabilities of aircraft seating to make high levels of vibration more bearable, and most importantly, give passengers and pilots a better chance of survival in the event of a crash.
The task fell to aeronautical engineer, Charles Yost, at NASA’s Ames Research Centre. In 1966, Yost introduced his wonder invention – an open-cell polymer foam with remarkable viscoelastic properties that was both soft and able to absorb high amounts of energy. It was first referred to as ‘slow spring back foam,’ due to its unique ability to mould itself around whatever was pressed into it, then slowly revert to its normal shape with the pressure removed – even after being compressed to 10% of its original size.
Soon the foam was being fitted into hundreds of aircraft. Not only would it save lives and help prevent injuries in the case of an impact, but thanks to its ability to absorb and evenly distribute pressure over the entire area of contact, it also proved to be extremely comfortable over long flights. Memory Foam, as it would later come to be known, had entered the atmosphere to make its mark.
Dynamic Developments
Yost began selling his invention as ‘Temper Foam’ in 1969 under the company Dynamic Systems, Inc. which he’d formed for the purpose. His special foam now found a welcome home in hospital settings. Bedridden patients who often suffered from pressure sores and even gangrene due to lying immobile for such extended periods could now experience real relief and improved recovery – thanks to the new body-moulding, pressure relieving foam being used in their beds. Dynamic Systems would largely continue focusing on medical applications for temper foam, providing innovative solutions like form-fitting wheelchair seats for the severely disabled, and custom-fit prostheses.
Enter the Memory Foam Mattress
In the early 1980s, NASA had released temper foam technology to the public domain. The foam was still new and unfamiliar territory, and quite a challenging material to work with. Fagerdala World Foams in Sweden was one of the few companies up for the challenge. After a few years of research and development, they released their prototype, the ‘Tempur-Pedic Swedish Mattress,’ in 1991. A year later, the Tempur-Pedic brand had found its way across the Atlantic, and the American giant, Tempur-Pedic, Inc. was born, becoming the first commercial retailer of ‘Tempur Foam’ bedding.
The world of mattresses and sleep solutions was where the unique viscoelastic properties of Memory Foam really started to shine. Using a person’s body heat, Memory Foam had the ability to form-fit to accommodate and support the unique shape and weight of the body lying on it, effectively acting as a custom-comfort mattress that helped to relieve pressure and provide support in just the right places.
It was only a matter of time before the unique reputation and popularity of Memory Foam bedding began spreading across the globe.
New generations & further improvements
Although most people were enjoying the innovative Memory Foam mattress, there was a common complaint relating to one of the foam’s core qualities. While it had the unique ability to use body heat to mould its shape, this also meant it retained heat while sleeping on the mattress. This was quite helpful in medical settings to relieve pain and inflammation but could cause discomfort in normal mattresses for people who tended to sleep warm and wanted a more cooling and breathable sleeping surface.
This issue led to companies developing second generation Memory Foam using an open-celled structure which improved breathability. Although Dynamic Systems had sold their patent for temper foam in 1974, they also made a comeback with new and improved variations on the original foam that were better at temperature regulation and more environmentally friendly.
Continuing advances in Memory Foam would be the order of the day to keep providing customers with the latest in sleep innovation. By 2006, the third generation, gel-infused Memory Foam had been developed and patented by US company, Peterson Chemical Technology, though it would take a few more years to catch on commercially. By infusing gel particles or micro beads into the foam, gel Memory Foam went one better on second generation Memory Foam to further improve heat dissipation and temperature regulation.
While the work continues to improve formulations of second and third generation Memory Foam, companies have also worked on combining other materials with Memory Foam mattresses, pillows and mattress toppers for added health and wellness benefits. Today’s Memory Foam bedding comes with features such as Aloe vera treated fabric to provide aromatherapy benefits and support overall wellbeing, and Anti-Acaria treatments to prevent dust mites and other allergens.
Memory Foam around the world, and back again
Memory Foam has certainly made its mark in the bedding industry, but it hasn’t stopped there. As the technology has become more widespread and affordable, its benefits have propelled it into an ever-growing range of products and applications.
Along with its original inventor, Memory Foam was inducted into the Space Foundation’s Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1998. Although Charles Yost passed away in 2005, Dynamic Systems, Inc. is still going strong, ‘injecting’ its own Memory Foam derivatives into new arenas, from cars and motorbike seats, to saddles, animal prosthetics and theme park rides. The company even came full circle to provide NASA with special floors used to help astronauts re-adjust to Earth’s gravity.
From not so humble beginnings, the famous foam that keeps springing back with new innovations has been around the world and back again. Memory Foam has also continued to revolutionise the bedding industry, with ever evolving designs that keep striving to offer people around the globe a more comfortable, supportive and healthy sleep, night after night.