Air helmet
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
The vast majority of bike sharing users do not wear helmets when riding on the roads. This creates a potential risk in case of accidents. People do not wear helmets because they are too heavy and take up too much space in the backpack for a short trip.
The air helmet, made from recycled material wastes, solves the problem of portability during the rest of the day. So the user can go lighter, but safer.
Geographical Scope
Project Region
Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
EU Programme or fund
Which funds
Description of the project
Summary
In recent years, bike sharing service was born and it became a huge revolution in big cities. But the vast majority of those users do not wear helmet when they ride. And when people choose notto wear helmet, it creates a potential risk of fatal accidents. According to recent studies, the number of bycicle accidents in cities is increasing every year.
One of the reasons why users refuse to wear helmet is that they are too heavy and take up too much space in the backpack. People prefer to ride light and unsafe rather than carry a helmet around all day.
Another reason is that a good bike helmet can cost up to 100 euros o more. It's expensive for tourists who are only visit the place for a few days.
Air helmet is a inflatable helmet. This means that it can deflated and folded up. The helmet is so tiny that it can fit in a backpack, a handbag, even in a fanny pack. It can be inflated and deflated very quickly. For an adult person, it takes 35 seconds to fully inflate it. The helmet weighs 76 grams, the same weight as a chicken egg. It is so light that you don't even notice it when you wear it.
Its flexibility allows it to adapt to different head shapes and sizes. The helmet is made of thermoplastic sheet and strap, adjustable with buckles. The material comes from recycling thermoplastic wastes.
Inspired by air bags. The helmet uses air as a cushioning layer to reduce impacts. It can prevent common head impacts, reducing injury rates by 2.5 times and fatal injuries by 1.5 times compared to not wearing a helmet.
Key objectives for sustainability
The existence of bike sharing service aims to reduce contamination and improve people's lives. The air helmet is a supplement for this service, the idea is to promote the use of bicycles. This reduce traffic congestion and CO2 emission in cities.
For tourists who are visiting a place. The bike sharing service is a convenient way to explorer the city. And wearing a helmet can keep them safe.
Air helmet uses thermoplastic sheet as main material, which is very common and recyclable. In big cities there is a lot of thermoplastic waste. Those materials wastes can be recycled and transformed into helmets. Subsequently, it is easy to repair scratches and punctures by applying patches of same material.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Design is about the balancing between beauty and use.
Helmet is a very common thing in our life. It does not look fancy when we wear it. The helmet is often considered as an ugly but safe hat. Safety is the main connection between helmet and people. But design is also about better structuring the connections between people and things. So we are turning the helmet into a fashion item. A cool wearable.
By taking advantage of the properties of thermoplastic, we are making it transparent. A transparent and see-through item. Very different from the products available on the market today. Grant it a classy and stylish look.
Key objectives for inclusion
Human has a oval-shaped head. But everyone's head is slightly different. Some people have bigger heads than others, some have larger heads, some have rounder heads.... In terms of ergonomics, we have to design a standard product that fits the vast majority. So in most cases, when we buy a standard helmet in a shop, it may not be comfortable for us. Because it's not designed for our head.
Air helmet is designed to be inclusive. This means that it can adapt to different head shapes. The vertebrated structure and the great flexibility of the material allow it to adapt to different head shapes and sizes.
The recycled material made helmet has an budget-friendly price. The ease of production and low cost of the material make it affordable.
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
The market of bicycle helmet is already very saturated. The public has plenty of choice.
Our mission is not to discover something that no one else has discovered yet. Rather, it is to think about something that everyone else has seen, something that has never been thought about before.
Recycled material made helmet as a fashion wearable, which is also suitable for all users. It is a accurate combination of sustainability, inclusivity and aesthetics.
