Wobblers
Euthermic
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- Minkowski Space
Cardboard is surprisingly strong. It is, after all, made out of the same material as wood - cellulose - so, weight for weight, is as strong as rigid as steel. With careful design, I see no reason why a cardboard wouldn't perform as well as a conventional helmet. I expect it to be as solid as is claimed. But note, @jonny jeez, that there are no claims about the helmet actually meeting any accepted standards. A bicycle helmet that does not meet even the dismal standards of EN1078 cannot receive a CE mark and be sold in the EU. In law it is not fit for purpose. So you cannot say that it offers protection. It very well may do - but that hasn't been proven yet.
Given that, you might wonder just why aircraft and bridges aren't made of cardboard. Or perhaps not, you're probably more than aware of the pesky fact that cardboard disintegrates when it gets wet! A plane in which the wings fall off in a shower isn't much good (especially if you're at 3,000 feet at the time!). Considering the complex construction of this helmet - which is crucial for its strength - even a small amount of dampness is highly likely to severely compromise its ability to provide any meaningful protection.
From an engineering perspective, unfortunately this could not be more wrong:
Except it's actually worse than that - sweat will cause just as much damage as rain. A cardboard, or papier mache, helmet will break down on a hot day, or if you're working hard. Now, the article talks about there being a protective layer. The problem is, sebum from the skin, and salt from sweat are very good at breaking down such protection - so the "3-4 hours" rain resistance is optimistic. It is likely to be much less, especially on hot days when the user will most likely be unaware of just how much damage perspiration is doing to their helmet. This sort of invisible failure mode is very bad indeed, and one that engineers tend to try and avoid wherever possible. Durability is thus also questionable even in places where (unlikeWet West Britain) it doesn't rain often.
In short, its lack of reliable water protection is a severe show stopper.
Given that, you might wonder just why aircraft and bridges aren't made of cardboard. Or perhaps not, you're probably more than aware of the pesky fact that cardboard disintegrates when it gets wet! A plane in which the wings fall off in a shower isn't much good (especially if you're at 3,000 feet at the time!). Considering the complex construction of this helmet - which is crucial for its strength - even a small amount of dampness is highly likely to severely compromise its ability to provide any meaningful protection.
From an engineering perspective, unfortunately this could not be more wrong:
Except it's actually worse than that - sweat will cause just as much damage as rain. A cardboard, or papier mache, helmet will break down on a hot day, or if you're working hard. Now, the article talks about there being a protective layer. The problem is, sebum from the skin, and salt from sweat are very good at breaking down such protection - so the "3-4 hours" rain resistance is optimistic. It is likely to be much less, especially on hot days when the user will most likely be unaware of just how much damage perspiration is doing to their helmet. This sort of invisible failure mode is very bad indeed, and one that engineers tend to try and avoid wherever possible. Durability is thus also questionable even in places where (unlike
In short, its lack of reliable water protection is a severe show stopper.
