Helmets. Symbols of protection, engineering challenges, emblems of courage. Their story is intertwined with that of humanity, from protecting warriors in epic battles to racing car and motorcycle drivers at supersonic speeds.
The challenge is never over. Bumps, falls and accidents are still a constant threat. And the question that arises spontaneously is: how can we make helmets even safer? The answer could come from geometry.
Helmets of the future? Six times safer
You know those bubble materials commonly used in packaging? Engineers are rethinking them to develop cutting-edge protection against impacts. Not only to safeguard fragile objects, but also for the helmets of the future.
A collaboration between the University of Colorado Boulder and Sandia National Laboratories it could in fact transform our ideas about security. An innovative internal geometry is in fact capable of absorbing impacts up to six times more powerful than traditional systems. I link the complete study here. But how does this revolution in protection work?
Squash! The power of shock absorption
Imagine the inside of a sponge: full of tiny empty spaces. By crushing it, these spaces close, absorbing energy; this is the basic principle on which impact protection is based.
The engineering team went beyond this basic concept, proposing padding made from hexagonal honeycomb geometries that collapse in waves. It's an incredibly more efficient way of dispersing the energy of an impact inside helmets.
The material used to absorb impacts is important, but what really matters is the geometry.
Robert McCurdy, first author of the study
Helmets with flexible geometry
The project has moved towards the most ambitious objective: a configuration capable of absorbing not only a lot of force, but forces of different magnitudes with the same effectiveness. Like the ideal protection for a helmet: the violent impact of a car accident, or the "softer" impact of a bike fall must be absorbed in the same way.
The solution? Rework the internal geometry of these structures down to sizes of approximately one millimeter. The insertion of some "nodes", folds similar to an accordion, guides the collapse of these "honeycombs", making it fluid and constant. The result? A uniform level of shock absorption throughout the compression.
The team's creations withstood impacts, absorbing many times more energy than traditional designs, or foams, made from the same material.
A prova d'urto
The innovative pads were 3D printed from an elastic polyurethane-like material and put to the test. Result? They are able, as mentioned, to absorb approximately six times more energy than standard foams (made with the same material), and up to 25% more than other technologies.
But the improvements don't end there: researchers are perfecting their geometries. The modified "honeycombs" may one day protect us, with various adaptations, in bike helmets, or in anti-accident helmets. The materials that can be used will range from plastics to aluminium, depending on specific needs.
Here's what the future holds: a world protected against life's unexpected impacts. Power of geometry.
