EcoHelmet, A Folding Paper Bike Helmet Wins International James Dyson Award
EcoHelmet is another breakthrough that will benefit cyclists all over the world. It is a recyclable, folding paper bike helmet that just won this year's International James Dyson Award and prize amount £30,000.
This invention is the brainchild of Isis Shiffer, a New York design student who came up with the idea of a helmet for people who use bike-sharing schemes or public bicycle systems and may not always bring a helmet with them. She has also used these sharing schemes around the world and describes herself as a cyclist who is "ardent and slow", BBC reported.
"When I was exploring new cities I had no access to a helmet and I didn't want to spend $30 buying one," Shiffer said.
Telegraph UK reported that with this idea in mind, Shiffer decided to design a helmet made out of cheap and recyclable materials, unlike other helmets that are made out of polystyrene. EcoHelmet has a honey-comb structure to give protection to the head and described by Shiffer to be "incredibly good at absorbing impact". Its paper also has a coating that protects it from rain damage for a maximum of three hours.
Shiffer also shared that the design was tested at Imperial College in London where they have a test rig for helmets. The professor in charge of the lab also allowed her to test out other materials for her invention. To make her invention a reality, she has partnered with MemBrain, a Los Angeles-based firm, to produce and sell the helmet.
"EcoHelmet solves an obvious problem in an incredibly elegant way. But its simplicity belies an impressive amount of research and development. I look forward to seeing EcoHelmets used in bike shares across the world," James Dyson said.
Shiffer envisions the helmets accessible via vending machines next to a row of bikes for hire and being recycled after use. She also plans to start selling it by next year with a price around $5.
