Aerostraight
Aerostraight
Electronic shoulder straightener for motorcycle riders
Electronic shoulder straightener for motorcycle riders
Sportbikes ask a lot of your body. Hours into a ride, your weight has moved onto your wrists, your shoulders have crept forward and every stretch at a red light brings only a few seconds of relief.Aerostraight is a compact add-on that mounts to a sport-riding jacket and looks like the aero hump riders already know. Inside, a small motor gently pulls the shoulders back, so riders stay aligned without thinking about it.
Sportbikes ask a lot of your body. Hours into a ride, your weight has moved onto your wrists, your shoulders have crept forward and every stretch at a red light brings only a few seconds of relief.Aerostraight is a compact add-on that mounts to a sport-riding jacket and looks like the aero hump riders already know. Inside, a small motor gently pulls the shoulders back, so riders stay aligned without thinking about it.
Title
Title
Aerostraight
Aerostraight
Industry
Industry
Automotive Accessories
Automotive Accessories
Date
Date
2026
2026
Most posture products are built for desk workers, and the few made for riders either bulk up the jacket or only buzz when you slouch. I wanted something that gives real physical support while feeling like part of the gear. The project began with a question I couldn’t shake while watching a friend fight his own posture on long rides: why does it have to hurt this much?
Challenge
Challenge
A sportbike’s low bars and high pegs push the rider into an aggressive lean. The weight lands on the wrists and forearms, the back rounds and the neck strains upward. To test the fixes, I borrowed a sportbike and rode four hours through Mumbai. A lumbar belt barely helped. A shoulder posture corrector brought relief within seconds, but its straps added bulk under a jacket that’s meant to fit close to the body. The challenge became keeping the pull while removing the bulk.
A sportbike’s low bars and high pegs push the rider into an aggressive lean. The weight lands on the wrists and forearms, the back rounds and the neck strains upward. To test the fixes, I borrowed a sportbike and rode four hours through Mumbai. A lumbar belt barely helped. A shoulder posture corrector brought relief within seconds, but its straps added bulk under a jacket that’s meant to fit close to the body. The challenge became keeping the pull while removing the bulk.
Approach
Approach
I explored five directions, from vibration alerts to a motorised system built into the jacket. The strongest idea was to move the mechanism outside the jacket and disguise it as an aero hump. That keeps the inner fit untouched and uses a shape riders already trust. I shrank the shell through repeated CAD and 3D-print iterations until a rider could comfortably wear a backpack over it. The pull comes from a braided cable winding onto a pulley, driven by a worm-gear motor. A strap guide holds the straps in place and doubles as the customizable part. Riders can pick colors to match their bike and gear.
I explored five directions, from vibration alerts to a motorised system built into the jacket. The strongest idea was to move the mechanism outside the jacket and disguise it as an aero hump. That keeps the inner fit untouched and uses a shape riders already trust. I shrank the shell through repeated CAD and 3D-print iterations until a rider could comfortably wear a backpack over it. The pull comes from a braided cable winding onto a pulley, driven by a worm-gear motor. A strap guide holds the straps in place and doubles as the customizable part. Riders can pick colors to match their bike and gear.
Testing and Development
Testing and Development
I tested early and cheaply. A fake landing page drew real sign-ups from riders outside my circle. A simulated pull rig gave 3 of 4 riders a clear, effective pull, and the one who found it harsh led me to softer straps. A rough impact test showed where my 3D-printed shell would need injection-moulded or stronger material. Along the way I learned to use a sewing machine for the soft goods. I then found that a moulded polypropylene or TPU strap guide would be simpler, water-resistant and sportier than layered fabric.
I tested early and cheaply. A fake landing page drew real sign-ups from riders outside my circle. A simulated pull rig gave 3 of 4 riders a clear, effective pull, and the one who found it harsh led me to softer straps. A rough impact test showed where my 3D-printed shell would need injection-moulded or stronger material. Along the way I learned to use a sewing machine for the soft goods. I then found that a moulded polypropylene or TPU strap guide would be simpler, water-resistant and sportier than layered fabric.
The shell holds everything inside a compact footprint: the motor, pulley, three rechargeable cells, the circuit board and a Type-C charging port. A handlebar remote with two buttons, one concave and one convex, lets riders tighten or loosen the support by touch alone, even with gloves on.
The shell holds everything inside a compact footprint: the motor, pulley, three rechargeable cells, the circuit board and a Type-C charging port. A handlebar remote with two buttons, one concave and one convex, lets riders tighten or loosen the support by touch alone, even with gloves on.
The shell attaches to the strap guide with industrial Velcro, and the guide attaches to the jacket the same way. Riders can install it, move it or switch it to a new jacket without tools. A snap buckle gives a quick release if anything feels wrong, and it also makes setup easy and fits different body sizes.
The shell attaches to the strap guide with industrial Velcro, and the guide attaches to the jacket the same way. Riders can install it, move it or switch it to a new jacket without tools. A snap buckle gives a quick release if anything feels wrong, and it also makes setup easy and fits different body sizes.
Aerostraight started as a question I couldn’t let go of while watching a friend shift around on a long ride. The final design doesn’t try to force riders into a position. It gives them a gentle, steady reminder, built into a shape they already know. There’s still work ahead: moving the shell to injection moulding, refining the remote for manufacturing and testing softer strap materials on longer rides. But the core idea held up through every test. A small, well-placed pull can make a long ride feel a lot shorter.
Aerostraight started as a question I couldn’t let go of while watching a friend shift around on a long ride. The final design doesn’t try to force riders into a position. It gives them a gentle, steady reminder, built into a shape they already know. There’s still work ahead: moving the shell to injection moulding, refining the remote for manufacturing and testing softer strap materials on longer rides. But the core idea held up through every test. A small, well-placed pull can make a long ride feel a lot shorter.
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