Safer Motorcycle Helmet

[RhadamYgg]

Hey Everyone, I hope everyone is well and having a day off to go to the doctor - which I'm absolutely going to ride to on my bike! Too bad I'm not really all that sure where it is...


Anyway, to the topic. Popular Science has been running more motorcycle oriented stuff (sometimes) in the magazines and in the May 2010 there is a page article on a safer helmet.

The helmet is the Lazer Solano SuperSkin (which unfortunately, the article states isn't going to be available in the US for another year, but is available in Europe).

In short, it has a moving skin on a lubricant around the helmet that slips/slides when the helmet encounters the ground and transmits less torque/rolling on the helmet. This is supposed to reduce certain types of head/brain injuries.

I went to their website to look at the helmet - Here and there is a good vid on what they claim this will do for the motorcyclist in a potential accident.

It looks really good. It would be nice to see some dummy tests with the dummy dropped out of the back of a pick up and sensored to show forces on the brain with this skin and without it.

Safe Riding, my friends.

[Wrider]

Yeah it looks interesting... We've been having a debate on whether it will act like rubber on another forum. Some think that although it will stretch it will also want to bounce back and end up creating even more force. (Same reason cars don't have rubber bumpers)

[RhadamYgg]

Hmmm, I don't actually think how the material acts will affect things as much as the fact that it moves independently of the helmet underneath. I mean, I'm sure it makes a difference what the material is, but it should be more important that it moves/slides rather than if the material itself bounces or absorbs.

Although, the example they use of it being like skin isn't the best one... I'm sure the stuff acts like skin, but my skin tearing off and not rotating my body because it isn't attached to my bones isn't exactly a thought I want to conjure while exploring safer helmets!

[Grey Thumper]

Intriguing and impressive (maybe it's also the posh accent and age of the "oh so professorial" presentor).

I wonder if the low coefficient of drag of the helmet surface will also help lower wind roar and make the helmet easier to clean.

[RhadamYgg]

Yeah, they shouldn't allow presenters with accents. It gets bonus points for credibility that it doesn't deserve. I still say they should dump some of those smart dummies out of the back of a pickup truck for a more real-world test. And fire a few with a small catapult for those t-bone style accidents.

[bearshark52]

Interesting. I would like to see how forward momentum is changed, if rotation and change of angle is decreased.

I still say they should dump some of those smart dummies out of the back of a pickup truck for a more real-world test. And fire a few with a small catapult for those t-bone style accidents.

I agree. Some of the helmet testing protocols are not as "real-world" as they could/should be. For football helmets, the protocol is just to drop a helmet from five or so feet twice.