Exploring Concepts from Soft Robotics — Professor Kari Love

Inflatable Inspiration

This is an inflatable helmet which collapses to store as a small form factor and then is inflated to become its full size. I have been familiar with the single use inflatable helmets which respond like an airbag to a sudden jolt, but have been sceptical of their sensor based deployment. There is nothing worse than when technology backfires on you, maybe you slip a little and your helmet deploys before its needed. This helmet, although its shape can change, is rigidly deployed to use users head and remains that way throughout a ride. The shape is something of an accordion, and so it defies some of the principles of shape we are expecting from an inflatable piece via external ribs as constraints. Only thing, I think its silly to expect someone to pump their helmet up before a bike ride, users simply want to get on and go.