Engineering On The Edge

We all know the value of wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle (particularly for motorcross riders). You have a crash, the helmet keeps you from scrambling your brains. The weird thing about traditional helmets, though, is that they don’t function quite as well in lower threshold energy scenarios. In lower-speed crashes, the “stiff” construction of most helmets can actually transfer more than enough energy to a rider’s head to produce a concussion.

Enter 6D Helmet, a company that has introduced a new breed of helmets that can perform across the energy spectrum and better protect riders’ heads. The new helmets are the brainchild of former motorcross racers Bob Weber and Robert Reisinger.

The 6D Helmet includes what the company calls “omni-directional suspension,” or a suspension system for your head, in other words. It includes a traditinoal EPS liner, but one that is divided. The two liners are separated by an array of elastomeric isolation dampers, which creates an air gap. The whole system provides a “broader range of energy transfer” to protect the rider’s head.

According to the company’s figures, during a 4.5-mph impact, the head of someone wearing one of its helmets experiences just 48 g of acceleration, compared to 78 g for a typical helmet. (The threshold for a concussion in an adult male is 60 g.)

You can pre-order the helmets here, to the tune of around $745 for the off-road version. A street version and bicycle helmet are in the works. Video below:

Source: 6D Helmets