Here’s a radical motorcycle helmet called Madillo that will make you exclaim “radical” and at the same time, question “is it safe enough to protect our delicate skull from crushing on impact?” We do not have an answer to the latter, but we are going to go ahead and assume it does, and if it does, it could may very be the future of motorcycle helmet.
It is not just the looks that is futuristic, mind you; the concept is very much a thing of the future too. For starter, Madillo is adaptive. This means it can automatically adapt to the wearer head’s size. Conceived by Lukas Franz, in collaboration with automotive mechatronic supplier Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH, for his fourth semester project, Madillo has its sight set on scooter sharing market where it is possible to share the helmet among different people.
“The innovative technology is based on a layer of a so-called auxetic material. Auxetic materials have the special characteristic to stretch across the stretching direction. Planes can be deformed three-dimensional and withstand huge amounts of pressure when being in a fixed state. To adjust to your head the structure rotates around a cylinder each right and left. Ribbons are drawn through the structure leading into the cylinders where a tiny motor with the aid of sensors brings the helmet to a perfect fit.”
Well, what did I tell you about it being futuristic? Beyond that, the weaved design also allow LED to be integrated into it, thus turning the entire helmet into one giant-ass indicator light (or blinker, if you will), so that fellow road users will know if you are turning or braking. What’s more, in the event of, god forbids, an accident, Madillo will pulsate in red light to warn other road users and at the same time, send out SOS with your location to the nearest emergency services.
Adaptive, futuristic and radical look, the Madillo could very well be the future of motorcycle helmet, or any protective headgear in general.
Images: Lukas Franz.
Source: Yanko Design.
