Experimental drop testing demonstrates a 44% reduction in peak rotational acceleration with a bio-inspired helmet liner, indicating improved bicycle safety against traumatic brain injury.
This study investigates the effectiveness of a novel multi-layered bio-inspired structured helmet liner designed to reduce rotational acceleration during bicycle helmet impacts. Recognising the critical role of angular kinematics in traumatic brain injury, the liner was evaluated under oblique impact conditions using a biofidelic 3D-printed head surrogate developed from a validated anatomical model. The surrogate incorporated detailed skull and soft tissue structures and was refined to resolve mesh irregularities, integrate sensors, and ensure compatibility with a drop-tower setup. Drop tests were performed on helmets fitted with either a conventional expanded polystyrene liner or the proposed bio-inspired liner, and the surrogate’s measured response was used to validate corresponding finite element simulations. Results demonstrate that the proposed liner substantially reduces peak angular acceleration by up to 44% compared to the conventional expanded polystyrene liners, demonstrating its potential to enhance helmet safety. This work underscores the value of combining advanced surrogate modelling with innovative liner architectures to improve head injury mitigation in cycling impact.
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Leng et al. (2026) studied this question.