O que faz
Flattie is designed to reduce the friction in using helmet in micromobility by enhancing convenience and portability through its unique foldable mechanism. It is also designed for the circular economy with dismountable parts that can be recycled or repurposed.
A sua inspiração
The rise of micromobility sharing services (e-scooters and e-bikes) has led to a significant increase in accidents, including serious injuries like traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), accounting for up to 40.2% of cases. However, in average, only 4% of people wear helmets, mainly because these are incompatible with the spontaneous nature of such new modes of transport. Flattie is an attempt to bridge this gap, incentivize helmet use and make them more compatible with spontaneous trips by enhancing convenience. In parallel to the issue of increasing accidents, Flattie's development was also motivated by the lack of sustainability in the sector.
Como funciona
The outer shell is made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with shear thickening fluid (STF) in its cavities, providing a robust impact protection while maintaining flexibility and integrity. The liner is made of agglomerated cork - known for its shock-absorbing properties - with a unique construction that makes it flexible. This natural material not only is capable of enduring multiple impacts, enhancing safety, but also offers sustainability benefits, as cork is renewable and recyclable. To assemble Flattie, two layers of agglomerated cork are securely joined, enclosing a fabric retention system made from recycled PET. The design allows for the parts to be disassembled by the end of the product's life cycle. The result is a foldable helmet that provides reliable protection for micromobility users while prioritizing convenience and eco-conscious design.
Processo de design
The design process was very challenging, since the idea was not only to reduce the friction in the adoption of helmets by the micromobility users, but to also innovate and bring change in the bicycle helmet industry in terms of sustainability, making a helmet with a lower carbon footprint and fully circular. The process was very experimental, testing a wide range of materials to find the best possible combination that could perform similarly to the commonly used EPS foam liner and a ductile plastic outer shell in terms of energy absorption. The experimental tests and also numerical simulations have shown that the combination of cork, TPU and shear thickening fluid had a good potential for the application, providing the necessary impact resistance and also allowing for a flexible design that could eventually fold and conform to a person's head. After many iterations, it was determined the precise geometry that the cork parts should have in order to be flexible without losing its integrity or compromise the performance. The addition of a recycled PET fabric in between the cork layers is essential to the helmet's functioning. Prototypes were made to undergo a series of impact tests according to the European norm for bicycle helmets and they passed in all criteria.
Por que motivo é diferente
Flattie is the first helmet that folds completely flat, to about the size of a 15" laptop, ultimately offering a 70% reduction in volume and easily fitting into a backpack. It uses cork as a liner, a natural and renewable material, replacing the petrol-derived EPS foam commonly used in traditional bike helmets. This eco-friendly material not only enhances safety by resisting to multiple impacts without losing its protective capabilities (thanks to the material's ability to experience high levels of deformation without getting damaged nor fractured), but also increases the product's sustainability since the multi-impact resistance allows for a prolonged use of the product. Also, by the end of the helmet's lifecycle, its parts can be disassembled and recycled, which does not occur to traditional helmets due to the way that the shell and the liner are bonded together in the in-mold injection process.
Futuros planos
Now that the proof of concept and technology have been successfully validated, Flattie needs some overall design refinements and user testing. After that, some other minor tests need to be done to ensure that the helmet complies to all the standard's safety requirements. The ultimate goal is to bring Flattie to the market, either through finding partners in the industry, external financing or even crowdfunding, and give people a more sustainable, convenient and safe alternative for their spontaneous or daily commutes around the city.
Prémios
Flattie has won the BIKE UP award, given by the Portuguese National Association of Two-Wheeled Industries (Abimota), for the most innovative product in the context of two-wheeled urban mobility.
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