Foldable paper cycling helmet bags Dyson award

The origami-esque EcoHelmet provides bike-sharing scheme users a simple and inexpensive yet effective means to stay safe while on the road.

Industrial designer Isis Shiffer was recently named the year's winner of the coveted international James Dyson Award for her invention called the EcoHelmet, a biodegradable and foldable paper helmet designed specifically with bicycle-sharing system users in mind.

Tested at the Imperial College of London, the EcoHelmet was proven to be effective in absorbing impact from all directions, thanks in part to its honeycomb configuration. The unique cell structure helps to distribute force evenly around the head, similar to how a traditional PS helmet works. Meanwhile, the UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents cannot vouch for the helmet's safety for the moment due to lack of information.

EcoHelmet also has a water-resistant coating, which helps keep its shape even when exposed to rain for three to four hours. The helmet is intended for a limited number of uses.

For winning the Dyson Award, Shiffer received £30,000 to be used for further development of the EcoHelmet.

GlobalSources.com houses several suppliers of innovative bicycle helmets. For instance, one model uses voice prompts to play music and take phone calls.

Another design adopts g-sensor for collision detection, and has a bone conduction speaker.