This cheap, folding helmet is exactly what bike-sharing programs need
This folding helmet might be the ultimate accessory for bike-sharing programs. It's made of paper, lightweight, collapsible (and thus easy to carry) and cheap to produce.
Paper isn't exactly known for being protective, but the EcoHelmet hopes to challenge that perception with this helmet's design. As recipients of the 2016 award, the product has officially made believers out of British tech giant, Dyson.
The helmet, which received the top prize in Dyson's 2016 design contest, unfolds to stretch out the "honeycomb" lattice, which makes is sturdy enough to protect your precious noggin. It's made from recycled paper, which both justifies the "eco" part of its name and keeps production costs so low that the helmet could be sold for less than $5 apiece.
Contrary to skepticism about durability, designer Isis Shiffer says she put the helmet through the ringer and it's surprisingly shock-absorbent.
It's important to note that the helmet will only stand up to a limited number of uses, weakening over time (and it's probably useless in the rain). Users will have to replace them fairly regularly; luckily, that's a pretty low-cost solution.
Shiffer hopes to debut the helmet in New York this spring. The biggest challenge: Selling people on the idea that paper will keep them safe.
Topics Dyson
Alex Laird is one of Mashable's Tech Editorial Interns. She is a firm believer that headlines should be as strong as your coffee and humor as dark as your chocolate. In addition to working at Mashable, she is a full-time student and coxswain on the rowing team. #TEAMTECH
