Tag Archives: helmet

Disco Ball Helmets: For Dangerous Dance Parties

Posted on by

These unique crash helmets are decorated in the style of a disco ball, handmade and sold by Etsy shop Disco2Disco. Each helmet features a retractable visor and is not VDOT approved for road wear. That’s a shame too, because how else are you supposed to let other motorists know you’re the life of the highway party?

Available in all silver, a combination of silver with some rose gold, or all rose gold, the helmets are available in sizes S – XL and cost around $200. A small price to pay to instantly be the center of attention for any gathering you attend (or crash), particularly any weddings or funerals.

Now it just needs an integrated sound system and orbiting spotlight and you’re a human disco party! And who hasn’t dreamed of being a mobile disco party on two feet? I know as a kid it’s what I always dreamed about being when I grew up. That or a dinosaur.

[via DudeIWantThat]

Smart helmet lets you navigate, communicate while keeping you safe

Posted on by

I have a confession to make: I do not know how to ride a bike and I don’t think I ever will. The few times I have attempted to do so did not end well for my knees and for the bike and so the klutzy and accident-prone me will not even try to learn anymore. But while I have no interest in riding one, I do know the challenges that bikers and motorbikers face when it comes to navigating, communicating, keeping safe, not to mention all the socio-economic issues that come with having a two-wheeled ride. I also understand that helmets are their best friends. This concept for a smart helmet may very well be the most technologically advanced best friend they can ever have.

Designers: Jennifer Zhang and 陈 庆

The DIDI BIKE Smart Helmet was conceptualized due to the “One Helmet, One Seatbelt” policy that is being implemented in China. While safety while riding a bike is of utmost importance, there are also times when you would need to use gadgets like your smartphones for navigation, communication, and other important things. There’s the option to pull over of course to use your device but what if there was a smart helmet like this one?

The concept design for the smart helmet includes front-and-rear cameras that can be both dashcams and smart screens as well. Not only is it able to give you more visual information about your surroundings and the other vehicles on the road with you, but you can also get traffic and navigation information without being distracted by your smartphone. They can be controlled through voice commands and also works with image recognition and AI technology.

Users will be able to adjust the tint of the visor either through voice command or depending on the ambient light available. The backside meanwhile has an LED light strip that gives color-coded information like whether they’re in motion, braking, or turning. The helmet is also designed to give an SOS signal and call emergency services in case there’s an accident. The strap also has bone-conduction earphones for listening to music or podcasts or taking calls while the AR display on the left eye gives important information like navigation, device information, etc.

That’s actually a lot of information and functionality for a helmet concept-wise. In fact, it might be too much for a device whose primary function is to keep the user safe while driving. Design-wise it also looks pretty heavy and looks more like what a futuristic soldier would wear rather than a normal, everyday biker. But in terms of function, it should be pretty useful for those who need to do other things while riding a bike or motorcycle.

The post Smart helmet lets you navigate, communicate while keeping you safe first appeared on Yanko Design.

This helmet designed to provide protection during earthquakes is inspired by ancient Roman military tactics

Posted on by

This piece of multifunctional protective equipment designed to provide wearable shielding from falling debris during earthquakes was inspired by ancient Roman military tactics.

The testudo, or tortoise formation, was a type of shield wall formation commonly used by the Roman legions during military blockades, or sieges. Similar to a tortoiseshell, the soldiers would position their shields to form a fully enclosed shell that offered coverage on all sides as well overhead. The testudo was used to protect Roman soldiers from arrows and missiles as they slowly marched in unison towards a city’s gates or remained stationary in defense.

Designer: Seunghwan Ra

Recognizing the protective nature of the testudo formation, one designer found modern use for the ancient military tactic in emergency situations, like earthquakes. Named after its inspiration, Testudo is a physical shield and helmet piece designed by Korean designer Seunghwan Ra for earthquake response.

Considering all the elements that go into assuring safety following an earthquake, Ra had his work cut out for him. If designing earthquake safety equipment wasn’t enough, Ra incorporated a multifunctional element to keep the piece of equipment within arm’s reach year-round.

Initially functioning as a wall-mounted light fixture, Testudo’s first safety element is light. As Ra states, “A ray of light is always a right signifier to those [who] panic.” Think lighthouses, flashlights, and even the natural safety of sunlight.

During natural disasters, especially earthquakes, a source of light is a beacon of hope, guiding survivors to safety, even if it just takes them from Point A to Point B. When an earthquake hits, Testudo will remain alight on the wall for users to easily seek it out and employ its safety measures.

Once detached from the wall, Testudo reveals a size and shape similar to bike helmets, allowing users to place it over their heads and cover their shoulders as well. Once the helmet’s handle is pulled down to the user’s chest, integrated airbags will inflate and become rigid for cushioned protection.

Once the helmet has fully inflated, each user’s vital organs are shielded from falling debris. The backside of the helmet particularly offers protection for the cervical spinal area. A headlamp also provides ample guiding light for escaping danger zones.

Following multiple ideations, Ra finally settled on inflatable protective cushioning. 

Moving on from mats, Ra found flexibility in inflatable coverings.

From there, Ra actualized Testudo’s first prototype.

The post This helmet designed to provide protection during earthquakes is inspired by ancient Roman military tactics first appeared on Yanko Design.

Finally, A Resin 3D Printer That Looks Like an Astronaut Helmet

Posted on by

Been holding out on buying a resin 3D printer because all the available options just don’t look enough like an astronaut helmet for you? Well, it’s finally time to pull the trigger on that space blaster of yours, because the AstroFab Resin 3D printer is a dead-ringer for a traditional NASA-style astronaut helmet. I’m going to print myself a pair of moon boots to match!

The $299 AstroFab features a 2.8″ touchscreen and is capable of producing 3D resin prints up to 5.1” x 3.1” x 6.5”, with a layer resolution of around 10 microns. That’s respectable. Me? Apparently, I’m not that respectable, because my wife always hires an actor to play me whenever she attends family gatherings.

Obviously, the real selling point here is the colored visor. Plus they come in four different shades – blue, green, orange, and yellow. According to AstroFab, “Each AstroFab comes with a color of your choice and other colors can be purchased separately. Why not collect all 4 colors for different spaces!” Yes, why NOT collect all 4 colors for different spaces? I mean, besides the obvious reason. That reason is that you only need one. I mean they’re not Pokémon, you don’t have to catch ’em all (I bought two of each color but no printer).

This helmet case for electric scooters includes a UV sanitization hub for hygienic use amongst city riders

Posted on by

Carefol is a helmet case for electric city scooters with an integrated UV sanitization hub to ensure hygienic use amongst different riders.

For people without cars who live in big cities, electric scooters are a godsend. Whether you use them to reduce your personal carbon footprint for the day or you just like the feeling of riding a two-wheeler alongside Mack trucks and SUVs, electric scooters help you get to your destination fast, but they’re not always the safest option.

Designers: Jueun Lee and SooA Choi

Besides needing a helmet just to dodge the scooters left on sidewalks, city scooters don’t typically come with accompanying helmets, so it’s generally an “at-your-own-risk,” form of transportation. Despite efforts to bring helmets to city scooters, hygienic and storage problems complicated things. Carefol, a PVC helmet case with an integrated UV sanitizing system, designed by Jueun Lee and SooA Choi presents a solution.

 

Incorporating PVC waste into the very build of the helmet case, Carefol is built from a mix of recycled material and conventional helmet straps. Built with rounded edges and an overall geometric shape, Carefol’s build is simple to ensure intuitive use.

In their 3D renderings, Lee and Choi envisioned Carefol being strapped on the main support bar where users can easily access the UV sanitization hub and use the external hooks as supplemental storage components. When the helmet is out of its storage bin, users can use the empty compartment to store their commuting goods in addition to an external hook to hang grocery or tote bags.

The helmet essentially creates its own enclosed bin by merging with the sanitization station. The bottom of the helmet, where the user’s head would go, inserts into the raised UV platform to be sanitized, while the top of the helmet gives a rounded top to the Carefol helmet case. Then, a glass covering doubly protects the helmet. When needed, users can then easily dislodge the helmet from its case by tugging on its top strap.

The helmet case remains out of the way during rides to ensure safety.

The team of designers worked dot make Carefol’s shape and size as convenient as possible. 

Riders can even use the helmet case as a supplemental storage unit during their commute.

When not in use, Carefol can be charged via an integrated USB port. 

A glass covering protects the top of the helmet and ensures sanitization.

The post This helmet case for electric scooters includes a UV sanitization hub for hygienic use amongst city riders first appeared on Yanko Design.

Ingenious folding helmet unfolds at the pull of a string, making life safer for bike riders everywhere

Posted on by



How often have you wondered, the helmet could have a more compact shape when its core purpose is not required? In fact, when you are carrying other life-saving equipment and the helmet, could be flattened for easy storage in the backpack make life just so much easier!

Helmets have become the first line of defense for a plethora of activities and for obvious reasons. The first respondent teams and natural disaster missions are prime examples. But this life-saving accessory is not always needed and takes up space to store which could have a better solution in the technology-dominated world we live in. A folding helmet is a logical answer to the storage woes, and implementing the idea is not as simple as it might seem.

Thus comes into the picture a minimalist helmet that keeps things as intended without sacrificing the shape and design. Nor does it make things complicated as far as function goes – thereby, making it a perfect accessory for emergency situations in a wide array of fields. Designed by Tokyo-based R&D Mak, the intuitive design of the folding helmet falls flat like flat-pack furniture. It’s basically a helmet that you can squeeze like a burrito for keeping in backpacks, drawers or closets. The simple pull mechanism to unfold it is the simplest I’ve seen thus far. To squeeze it to a compact form, just pressing the button on the rear section does the trick.

So, practically speaking we are talking about storing two folding helmets where only a single helmet would occupy the same space. The final product is a result of repeated prototyping until the most satisfying result was achieved for the team at R&D Mak. It is a god-sent solution for emergency respondents who now don’t have to carry the bulk of a bloated helmet all the time.

Designer: R&D Mak

The post Ingenious folding helmet unfolds at the pull of a string, making life safer for bike riders everywhere first appeared on Yanko Design.

Ex-Aston Martin engineer designed a sleek ‘packable’ cycling helmet that flips inward to become 50% slimmer

Posted on by

It’s almost hilarious, but the two leading reasons for people not wearing helmets are the fact that it ruins their hair, and that it’s too bulky to carry or store anywhere. While there isn’t really an immediate solution to the former (apart from going bald), an ex-Aston Martin engineer devised a clever way to solve the latter problem. Meet the Flip-Clip Go, a Red Dot Award-winning ‘packable’ helmet that folds down to occupy 50% of its original volume, making it easier to carry with you when not in use.

The helmet’s patented design features a flippable top that turns its dome-shaped form into a frisbee that’s easier to stash in bags, carry under one’s arms, or place inside the cargo space in scooters. Measuring 81mm in thickness when closed, the Flip-Clip Go’s bulkiness gets reduced by 50%, making it much more convenient than traditional bulky helmets that can be cumbersome to carry around.

The helmet’s highlight is its Flip-Clip™ Technology, which allows it to alter its volume by flipping and folding inwards. This nifty little feature turns the bulbous helmet into an 81mm disc that’s about as bulky as a novel or a dictionary. Cutting the original helmet’s mass by up to 50%, the folded helmet can easily be stashed away, so you don’t need to rely on archaic techniques like locking your helmet to your bike.

The helmet was conceptualized by Josh Cohen, Dom Cotton, and Will Wood, friends and bicycle enthusiasts alike (and co-founders of Newlane). The light bulb moment came when Josh used a hire bike in Central London. Feeling a sense of vulnerability without the helmet, he spoke to Dom, who immediately hopped on board and was soon followed by Will, an ex-engineer at Aston Martin who helped conceive the helmet’s design, its details, and finalize its material choices to create a helmet that was effective, lightweight, sustainable, and yet affordable.

The Flip-Clip Go helmet comes made entirely from recycled plastics, salvaged from oceans and landfills, before being treated, processed, cleaned, and re-molded. It comes with a relatively bare-basics design, featuring an airy construction that relies on honeycomb structures, and is supported by a protective inner layer of expanded polystyrene (EPS). Manufactured in partnership with Cameron-Price in the UK, each helmet helps recycle as many as 20 plastic bottles worth of plastic, and Newlane hopes to be entirely carbon-free by 2030.

The Flip-Clip Go helmet is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2021.

Designer: Newlane

The post Ex-Aston Martin engineer designed a sleek ‘packable’ cycling helmet that flips inward to become 50% slimmer first appeared on Yanko Design.

Augmented Reality Helmet concept aims at revolutionizing how firefighters rescue civilians

Posted on by

Brave - Augmented Reality Helmet for Firefighters

Technology is best put to use when it gives us powers we didn’t have before. Whether it’s being able to fly using airplanes, see through skin and bones using X-rays, or send each other messages using radio waves and satellites. I’ve long believed that augmented reality has the ability to positively impact life as we know it, beyond just entertainment and games. Microsoft’s Hololens has often demonstrated how AR tech can help remote learning and servicing, whether it’s something as simple as sending instructions to a technician fixing a faulty circuit box or plumbing pipe, or as game-changing as helping doctors learn more about the human body by literally being able to see inside it using virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. A Red Dot Design Concept Award-winning entry, however, is pushing the capabilities of augmented reality imaging to help firefighters effectively assess buildings, find structural weak spots, avoid infernos, locate and rescue victims, and quickly plot safe escape routes.

Brave - Augmented Reality Helmet for Firefighters

The Brave is an AR Headset with a helmet attachment purpose-built for firefighters to use while training and in action. The headset itself comes with an array of cameras along the front that allows the internal chip to effectively plot out its surroundings, and a HUD under the headset’s main visor helps project digital elements on the physical world while the firefighters move around. The outer visor also covers the upper half of the face, preventing dust and debris from making its way into the firefighter’s eyes, while a mask on the lower half of their face remains unobstructed or untouched.

When paired along with the helmet, the Brave is complete as a state-of-the-art imaging, safety, and rescue tool. The helmet comes with lights built into the front and the back, illuminating the path while allowing firefighters to see each other in smoke-filled corridors. The rear of the helmet even comes with a camera lens that allows the AR headset to see what’s behind the wearer too, informing them of any developments. Finally, the hard-hat helmet works as the ultimate head-protecting device, softening the impact from debris that may fall from above, and overall helping the firefighter effectively perform rescue missions without getting hurt. Along with the AR headset, however, the Brave is the ultimate rescue tool. It helps firefighters effectively see behind walls, beyond floors, and observe the building in a way that the eyes cannot.

The Brave AR Helmet is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2021.

Designers: Kim Hyewon & Shin Alim

Brave - Augmented Reality Helmet for Firefighters

The post Augmented Reality Helmet concept aims at revolutionizing how firefighters rescue civilians first appeared on Yanko Design.

‘Innovative Bicycle Helmet with auto-deploying neck airbag’ wins Bronze at the YD x KeyShot Design Challenge

Posted on by

Armed with two features that make bicycling much safer, Marco Filipic’s Envoy Helmet design for the YD x KeyShot Design Challenge takes on both preventive as well as protective measures to safeguard the rider. To ensure that the rider avoids accidents in the first place, the helmet comes with a fold-out rear-view heads-up mirror that lets them see potential vehicles approaching from the rear, while in the unfortunate event of an accident, the helmet has its own auto-deploying airbag that protects the neck and upper spine when the rider falls.

“Cycling to work every morning gave me time to think about how a helmet could be improved in terms of safety”, said Marco to Yanko Design. “Looking backward and sideways to turn, seemed to me it could be improved with some kind of aid; during a little research I noticed that some rear-view mirrors can be mounted on sunglasses and helmets, so I thought, how might we include it on the helmet and make it easy to use?

“The neck is exposed to falls and is a very sensitive area to impacts”, Marco stated as yet another pitfall with regular helmets. To make the Envoy safer, his redesign sported an airbag concealed in the base of the helmet, that deployed the instant it detected the rider falling. The neck-cushion-shaped airbag would wrap around the back of the neck, providing that extra bit of cushioning to ensure the rider’s neck doesn’t receive any shock while falling.

Unanimously declared the Bronze Winner by the YD x KeyShot Design Challenge Jury Panel, Marco also wins an Apple HomePod Mini along with a KeyShot HD Licence.

Follow Yanko Design and KeyShot on Instagram to know about upcoming Design Challenges.

Designer: Marco Filipic

‘Modular Cycling Helmet with a full-face attachment for motorbikes’ secures Silver at the YD x KeyShot Design Challenge

Posted on by

Among hundreds of entries for the YD x KeyShot Design Challenge that asked participants to redesign the Envoy Helmet to make it safer,
António Martins’ redesign turned the bicycle helmet into a versatile piece of headgear that could even offer full-face protection while riding motorcycles.

“To make ENVOY Helmet safer, I designed a removable chin protector along with a practical snap system. Its clean design makes the chin protector look like part of the helmet”, said Martins about his Silver Award-winning design.

It makes a world of sense, because people shouldn’t have to buy two separate helmets for bicycles and motorbikes. Martins’ elegant modular design allows you to have both helmets within one product. The redesigned Envoy proposes having a separate, detachable chin-protector that can easily and securely be snapped in place using tabs on either side of the helmet. Just attach the chin protector and the Envoy goes from being a cycling helmet to something perfect for motorbiking, quad-biking, and even snowmobiling in.

Unanimously declared the Silver Winner by the YD x KeyShot Design Challenge Jury Panel, António also wins a pair of AirPods Pro along with a KeyShot HD Licence.

Follow Yanko Design and KeyShot on Instagram to know about upcoming Design Challenges.

Designer: António Maria Oliveira Martins