Helmet design question

sirmy

I thought of this recently and also posed the question on another site but has anyone ever developed a helmet with a polystyrene shell and a gel core. Would the gel act as a more efficient shock absorber and make the helmet more effective?

Not being an engineer I don't know the answer but I remember reading somewhere that woodpeckers have a gel like substance in their heads acting as shock absorbers when they go headbanging

paulieb2006

I cant imagine the gel would be that comfortable when its warm. Personally I have a shaved head and it would stick to the skin. I think there is gel pockets in American Footballers Helmets.

Flasheart

paulieb2006 wrote:

I think there is gel pockets in American Footballers Helmets.

I thought American Footballers heads WERE full of gel myself :P

guilliano

American footballers helmets used to have an inflateable bladder in them when I played. Don't know if that's changed now

Met make a helmet with gel bubbles to replace the pads..... we have it in stock at the mo, but it's £180!!! :shock:

k-dog

Gel is probably far to dense to act properly in a crash - the point of the foam is that it slows down the impact by compressing - gel wouldn't compress nearly as much I think.