TopUp Head Protection

TopUp Head Protection is a compactable honeycomb structure helmet made from robust textiles that folds flat for easy transport. It’s currently only a prototype. I could see myself using it…

(via mocoloco)

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18 Comments leave a comment below

  1. Careful. I can see you getting hurt by depending on such a flimsy structure. (And yes, I know about tensile strength and domes and such.)

  2. It looks like a St. Martins lantern. The honeycomb structure is a really cool idea for the protection. nice one.

  3. Looks nicely ventilated. Does it come in silver?

  4. Unless it would be made of some seriously weird materials, the only thing it would protect would be your hairdo :) cool though

  5. What does it protect you from? :P

  6. I don’t doubt the stability of the structure, but I think if you hit your head hard while wearing this, it would cut into your head like a cookie cutter. Ahh.

  7. So uggs!!

  8. There is nothing you could make that from that would protect your melon in a DFO that wouldn’t also be robust enough to section your skull like an orange.

  9. Does it come with the bag and the Iphone?

  10. I like the idea but not really the result..

  11. Nice try, but this is what happens when design school students try to out-think scientists and engineers.

  12. It comes with one of those yellow shield thingies from the Dune movie. And a Captain Piccard trading card too.

  13. To P: right, because traditional helmets are that much better. No matter how expensive it is, it’s still a styrofoam hat that won’t dot shit if a car hits you.

    Cycliing helmets are designed to protect against falls, not real crashes. I can see this foldable design protecting at that same level.

  14. Jaytee – Are you a helmet designer? Mechanical engineer? Biomechanical engineer? The good people at Giro, Specialized, Bell, Arai, Boeri etc know their task and put an enormous amount of science into making a ‘styrofoam hat’ that will protect the skull against rapid decelleration when striking a rigid object whether that is in motorsport, cycling or ski racing. None of these very qualified companies have ever produced a design that looks like origami and fits in a purse because it doesn’t meet the needs of their customers. Marrock seems to be the only commenter who has thought critically about this design when he/she said: “There is nothing you could make that from that would protect your melon in a DFO that wouldn’t also be robust enough to section your skull like an orange.” This product is fanciful, but dangerous.

  15. “This product is fanciful, but dangerous.”

    So, no different from all the other bike helmets then? ;-)

    *ducks*

  16. p is correct. Designers are always creating these “prototypes” without actually considering how they’ll work (and this one is very, very far from working).

    When’s the next “concept bicycle” going to come out?

  17. very interesting concept. i’ve been thinking a lot about bike helmets with holes for your ponytail… no girl (or possibly guy) wants their hair hanging all hot and sweaty on their neck while riding!

  18. well, i would say good concept. It would atleast absorb a fair proportion of energy on impact against a flat wall / object.