ERGONOMIC DESIGN OF

BICYCLE HELMET
GROUP 4

MOHD AZIM CHE AB RAHMAN ZAKI KGI 090008

HAMED HASHEMABADI KGC 090017
SHOKOOFEH HASSANI GOODARZI KGC 090018
MUHAMMAD ILHAM KHALIT KGC 090021
MUNIRATI AHMAD KGC 090022
MASNI-AZIAN AKIAH KGC 090023
CHAN CHOW KHUEN KGC 090024
ALLINA ABDULLAH KGC 090025
MOHANADHAS A/L KANAGARAJ KGC 090026
ZURINA AHMAD KGC 090027
AMIRABBAS TABATABAEI KGC 090029
OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION

• Project development
• Background study
• Risks related to helmet use
• Objective
• Data Collection
• Statistical Analysis
• Conceptual Design
• Material Selection
• Design Evaluation and Analysis
• Manufacturing process (in general)
• Conclusion
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
BACKGROUND STUDY

• Cycling facts [1]

 80.6 million bicycle riders worldwide
 750 – 1,500 individual killed in bicycle crash
 450,000 – 587,000 are sent to emergency room each year
 Men are more likely to suffer cycling injuries
 70 – 85% of bicycle crash deaths concerns with head injury
 Wearing a helmet can reduce injuries and deaths by 20 –
90% if it is worn properly.

[1] Diane Hales. An invitation to health 2009 – 2010 Ed. US. Cangage Learning (2009)
BACKGROUND STUDY

• Bicycle helmet
 Head gear intended for cycling protection.
 Developed to reduce impact to the skull during a crash.
 Able to prevent head and brain injury

• Design of bicycle helmet

 Should be level and stable enough to resist violent shakes
and hard blow.
 Have to sustain certain level of force during impact.
 Interference to vision during cycling should be avoided.
BACKGROUND STUDY

• Risks related to helmeted cycling activity

 the crash forces might exceed the design tolerance of the
helmet (eg. injuries involving collisions with motor
vehicles)
 the impact may occur outside of the design line of the
helmet, injuring the cranium below the helmet line
 the retention system may fail, allowing the helmet to shift
substantially or even to come off during the crash
 the helmet may be worn improperly, on the back of the
head “bonnet style”
 the helmet may not fit properly, thereby subverting their
protective effects.
BACKGROUND STUDY
• Design benchmark
DESIGN ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGE
• Cheap • Poor air circulation
• Easy to manufacture • Poor impact absorption
• Heavy
• High drag coefficient

• Low drag coefficient • Poor air circulation

• Relatively heavy
• Expensive

• Cheap • Poor air circulation

• Easy to manufacture • Poor impact absorption
• Heavy
• High drag coefficient
• High safety level • Poor air circulation
• Heavy
• High drag coefficient
• Expensive
BACKGROUND STUDY
• General disadvantages of current design
 The weight
 Inadequate ventilation
 Inefficient drag coefficient
 Helmet fit is not for all population

• Suggested improvement
 Different material selection for lighter weight
 Redesigning air circulation / ventilation system
 Changing the outer shell design for better aerodynamic
result
 Improved helmet fitting
RISKS TO HELMET USE (MSD)
• Inappropriate helmet will cause muscle spasm, especially at
trigger points. The muscles of the neck such as the
suboccipitals and the cervical paraspinals may be affected.

• Trigger points are frequently caused by direct blunt trauma, or

by repetitive micro trauma, as is seen in overuse athletic
injuries.

• If head posture is to forward position, it can put a lot of stress

on the cervical spine joints, and cervical nerves such as C6 and
C7

• Too heavy, causing the head to push forward. Stress on the

cervical spine joints and cervical nerves such as C6 and C7.
RISKS TO HELMET USE (MSD)
RISKS TO HELMET USE (MSD)
RISKS TO HELMET USE (MSD)
RISKS TO HELMET USE (MSD)

RESULT Action level 2 Action level 3

(for left and right hand side) (for left and right hand side)
• Further investigation is • Investigation and changes are required soon
needed and changes may be
required
RISKS TO HELMET USE (COGNITIVE)
VENTILATION?
AMPLE? NOT
ENOUGH OR
TOTALLY NONE?
RISKS TO HELMET USE (COGNITIVE)
HOT!

NO COMFORT!
RISKS TO HELMET USE (COGNITIVE)
HOT!

MIGRAIN! LOSING
CONCENTRATION!
PROBLEM STATEMENT
• Extra load of helmet may affect the cyclist
performance and lead to MSD (discomfort and
hyperextension to neck)
• Poor helmet fitting lead to neck pain
• Back pain by overuse injury due to cycling
posture which is adapted decrease drag
coefficient
• Poor ventilation during cycling
• Helmet usage affect cyclist hearing (design)
OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT

Design of an ergonomic bicycle helmet for Malaysian

adult male cyclist to minimize injury risk related to race
cycling activity by focusing on:

• lighter weight helmet

• improved fitting to user’s population
• improved aerodynamics efficiency
• improved ventilation and humidity
• improved design without impairing cyclist’s hearing ability.
DATA COLLECTION
• Population selection
 Kepala Batas Community College students
 Male
 Age 18 – 23 years old

• Sample selection
 31 male students (total student batch 2010 = 287 pax)

• Activity selection
 Cycling for race activity
DATA COLLECTION
• Measurement method
 Measurement point : anthropometry point as agreed by group
members
 Tool used : Tailoring tape, Vernier caliper, Ruler

Photo taken during anthropometry measurement

DATA COLLECTION

• Anthropometry measurement point

 as highlighted in yellow in pic below

Reference : National Institute of Bioscience and Human Technology Japan, NIBH Technical Report
DATA COLLECTION

• Sketch for measurement point

DATA COLLECTION & STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Table: Data collected from Kepala Batas Community college student

DATA COLLECTION & STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
NO MEASUREMENT POINT %TILE VALUE JUSTIFICATION
(mm)
1 Head width 95th 190.0 Largest to fit
2 Diagonal head width 95th 230.0 Largest to fit
3 Anterior-posterior head 95th 220.0 Largest to fit
4 Diagonal head width 95th 220.0 Largest to fit
Occipital frontal
5 95th 600.0 Largest to fit
circumference
Helmet should not block the
Height of eyebrow to the
6 5th 87.0 vision of the person having
top of the head
the shortest forehead height
7 Anterior-posterior arc 95th 345.0 Largest to fit
8 Scalp height to ear 5th 100.0 Avoid tilt of helmet
5th to
9 Jaw height to ear 180-205 Adjustable length
95th
Arc distance between 5th to
10 420-445 Adjustable length
two ears 95th
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

• Design consideration
 Product weight
 Product fit to user
 Ventilation and humidity
 Aerodynamics
 User coverage
 Manufacturability.
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
• Concept 1
 Redesigned contour of outer
shell - improved aerodynamics
effect.
 Ventilation slot - improved air
flow and internal humidity
during cycling.
 Reduced product weight
 Strap – same with benchmark
design
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
• Concept 2
 Contour of outer shell
• added with new structure
• re-designed for improved
aerodynamics effect
 Ventilation slot – Improved air
flow and internal humidity during
cycling
 Reduced product weight
 Adjustable head grip and strap
 Internal reinforcement
• maximise venting
• minimise bulk
• Comply to safety standards.
DESIGN SELECTION (VIA PUGH MATRIX)
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
OUTER SHELL
• Aerodynamic contour
• Ventilation slot to INNER SHELL (FOAM LINER)
release internal heat and
improve humidity
• Main protection component
• Optimal cooling • Absorb impact
• Keep the foam in place • Minimum 20mm distance for
• Curve – sliding effect 300g impact protection
during impact instead of
direct hitting

INTERNAL REINFORCEMENT
• Maximise venting and
ADJUSTABLE minimise bulk
STRAP • Comply to safety
• Provide standards
external
support to neck
area ADJUSTABLE HEAD GRIP
• Adjustable for • Improved fitting for varying head size
varying head
size
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

• Ergonomic fitting for cycling helmet

Fitting of Fitting of Fitting of Fitting of Fitting of

helmet strap internal adjustable head foam lining outer shell
reinforcement grip
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

• Critical measurement match to design

(a) (b)

Picture: Cross sectional view of cycle helmet concept (a) Frontal (b) Sideways
MATERIAL SELECTION
COMPONENT MATERIAL SELECTION REQUIREMENT
Outer shell • Enhanced surface features – sliding effect during impact
• Able to mould for ventilation slot
• Thin and light
• Absorbs impact fairly

Inner shell / Foam • Able to absorb most energy / unit volume instead of
liner bouncing back to the user head.
• Redistributes a localised external force over a larger area,
reducing the local stress on the skull.
• F = ma = 9kN
(Max tolerable deceleration, a = 300g)
To prevent F>9kN, plateau stress = 0.9 MPa
Strap • Able to be adjustable
(buckle and strap) • Fair shear strength (for sliding strap to tighten or loosen the
helmet grip)

Internal reinforcement • Able to absorb shock and does not bounce back to the head
• Provide additional strength to inner shell
MATERIAL SELECTION

Example of inner foam material selection based on Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES)
MATERIAL SELECTION
COMPONENT MATERIAL OPTION MATERIAL SELECTION
Outer shell • ABS • Polycarbonate
• PVC Nitrile-Nitrex  High heat resistance
• Fiberglass  Able to mould vent slot
• Lexan
• PET
• Polycarbonate

Inner shell • Ultra low density balsa (0.09- • Expended Polystyrene (EPS)
0.11Mg/m3)  Cheaper
• Cork (low density)  Lighter weight
• Polystyrene foam closed cell  Durable at high and low
( = 0.05Mg/m3) temperature
No oxidation or corrosion
MATERIAL SELECTION
COMPONENT MATERIAL OPTION MATERIAL SELECTION

Internal • Polypropylene • Polypropylene

reinforcement • Nylon Not rusted like metal
• Metal mesh Able to withstand high
temperature

Buckle for strap • Plastic • Plastic

• Rubber Cheaper
 Lighter weight
 High resistance to heat
 Robust

Strap • Nylon • Nylon

• Polypropylene Higher strength property
(9.6psi)
DESIGN EVALUATION & ANALYSIS

• Product weight
 Mass analysis = 190.5 g (benchmark weight ~ 200-400 g)
 Weight reduction contributed by material selection (low
density EPS) for inner foam
 Incorporate ventilation slot

• Helmet fitting
 Adjustable strap
 Head grip
DESIGN EVALUATION & ANALYSIS

• Aerodynamics
 20-25% of drag is due to the equipment (bike, helmet)
 Additional structure at frontal area
 Smooth curved contour
DESIGN EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS
• Ventilation
 Critical in hot weather for cooling, and cold weather to carry the
moisture away
 Improved humidity
 Interior channel : takes up most air through front vents
 Exit channel : air released through side or top vent
 Air channels can be left in fitting foam around the edges of a
helmet to encourage air flow.

air out
air in
DESIGN EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS
• Von Mises stress simulated analysis
(front impact)

Impact energy
absorption w/out
helmet

Frontal impact force = 9000 N Impact energy

Maximum von mises stress = 0.9 Mpa absorption with helmet
(comply to requirement) (mostly absorbed by
foam liner)
DESIGN EVALUATION & ANALYSIS
• Von Mises stress simulated analysis
(side impact)

Side impact force = 9000 N

Maximum von mises stress = 0.9 Mpa
(comply to requirement)
MANUFACTURING PROCESS (GENERAL)
• Outer shell
 Formed by injection moulding process
 Final product will be later glued to the inner shell.

• Inner shell
 Granules of EPS place in mould
 Expended in steam
 Pressured into cooler foam
 Can be made in layers for varying impact density
(depends on less impact or hard impact area)

• Internal reinforcement
 Placed inside the mould during inner shell expansion phase

• Straps
 Weaved and cut to final desired shape.
 Strap installed to the helmet assembly.
 Buckle of the strap is made from plastic injection moulding and is later
added to strap.
CONCLUSION
• Cyclists are exposed to various risks during
cycling activity (MSD, cognitive effect)

• Product have to be manufactured in

compliance with the safety requirement and
can be used by majority of the population.

• Ergonomic design is an approach of solving

work related musculoskeletal disorder
(WMSD)
CONCLUSION
CYCLING RELATED PROBLEM
Inadequate product weight
• Lead to neck pain
• Lead to back pain
• Lead to MSD
Product fitting does not tailor to all
population
Back pain injury due to effort made to
reduce drag coefficient
Poor ventilation system and inadequate
humidity within the internal section of
the helmet
Cyclist may experience hearing
impairment during exercise
ERGONOMIC SOLUTION
• Proper material selection
• Proposed design weighs ~190.g
comparing to 200-400 g range of
benchmark helmet weight
• Usage of anthropometry measurement
for selected population.
• Design of adjustable head grip .
• Design of adjustable strap.
• Curved contour to improve
aerodynamics efficiency
• Ventilation slot is created for the entire
helmet system.
• Design of overall helmet assembly by
considering critical points of related
anthropometry measurement.