Austin-based Gel Blaster, who has been revolutionizing the toy industry with their gel pellet-shooting blasters, came to Trailside for soft goods help in the development and build of a set of vests for their new gameplay experience. Trailside tackled the soft goods construction of the vests, and partnered with Guinn Partners for the electronics integration. The vests and a simulation of the new gameplay were shown at 2023 IAAPA, where they received an award for best booth in show.

These vests, though more target than protective, took heavy inspiration from other well crafted protective vests including motorcycle vests and life jackets.

We went through a number of prototypes and fit designs to find a fit that would work well for people of all body types. This included weeks of iterations to find the perfect fit, materials and construction to hit the desired deadline.

The final deliverables were 24 vests comprised of 3D printed parts, Neoprene, Ripstop and EVA foam that combined to make adjustable target vests that were ready to have electronics systems installed.

Gel Blaster won “Best in Show” for their booth at IAAPA, with a line out the door to try their the new game simulator. The vests kept score by glowing different colors when hit, tracking hits and who hit them.