Bicycles

Bike helmet is made from wood – including the foam

Bike helmet is made from wood – including the foam
The helmet features a wood outer veneer, wood-based foam on the inside, and paper straps
The helmet features a wood outer veneer, wood-based foam on the inside, and paper straps
View 4 Images
The helmet was designed by Rasmus Malbert and Jesper Jonsson from design studio Materialist as part of the Ekoportal2035 project, which explores the concept of "a biobased future"
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The helmet was designed by Rasmus Malbert and Jesper Jonsson from design studio Materialist as part of the Ekoportal2035 project, which explores the concept of "a biobased future"
The helmet features a wood outer veneer, wood-based foam on the inside, and paper straps
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The helmet features a wood outer veneer, wood-based foam on the inside, and paper straps
Known as Cellufoam, the shock-absorbing foam in the helmet is said to be similar to Styrofoam – except it comes from a renewable source, and it's biodegradable
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Known as Cellufoam, the shock-absorbing foam in the helmet is said to be similar to Styrofoam – except it comes from a renewable source, and it's biodegradable
There's no word on possible commercialization
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There's no word on possible commercialization
View gallery - 4 images

We've seen bike helmets with wooden shells before, and we've also seen foam made from wood pulp. Now, however, Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology has teamed up with Stockholm-based startup Cellutech to combine the two. The result is a helmet made entirely from wood.

Known as Cellufoam, the shock-absorbing foam in the helmet is said to be similar to Styrofoam – except it comes from a renewable source, and it's biodegradable. Like similar products we've covered before, it's made by mixing a foaming agent with cellulose nanofibers derived from forestry industry byproducts. This means that trees don't need to be cut down specifically for foam production.

Even the straps are wood-based, being made from a heavy-duty paper.

The helmet was designed by Rasmus Malbert and Jesper Jonsson, from design studio Materialist. It was made as part of the Ekoportal2035 project, which explores the concept of "a biobased future." There's no word on possible commercialization.

Sources: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Cellutech via Bored Panda

View gallery - 4 images
4 comments
4 comments
Bob Flint
Will those paper straps hold the helmet in place during a fall, or result in a nasty paper cut on the ear or neck?
unklmurray
It looks like there is almost enough wood to cook a small meal... If you had 2...............................
Douglas Bennett Rogers
This is interesting but you need something like a widely adopted cardboard house to do much.
unklmurray
It would make a nice bowl to eat your lunch out of then dry it off and wear it home, since it is wood and paper it would be micro wave safe......I like it!! I want 2-3 of them.........LOL :-)