There are many requirements for the safety of a standard helmet to meet protocol. The helmet has to be able to withstand large amounts of force or friction to help keep the head safe. Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion says that the force that acts upon you (for example in a car crash) is reliant upon your mass and how fast you’re moving. This is why there is a variety of helmet sizes for each person’s weight. Based on Newton’s 2nd Law, the heavier you are, the more protection you need.
Without helmets, almost all major head injuries would be fatal. They protect the brain and the human skull. Foam that lines the insides serves as a medium to control the crash energy that is created in impact, like a shock absorber. The thicker the foam, the greater protection there is. Helmets are important because they take the impact and divert the crash energy when your head hits something really hard.
In football, helmets are very important since it is a contact sport. Many players experience head trauma even with the aid of a helmet, which shows just how bad the damage would be if they didn't have one. Helmets are essential in protecting the skull and brain from any outside forces, like another person running at you. The impact taken from being hit by a full grown person going full speed is rather great. This is why helmets, as well as other protective gear, is necessary for such a dangerous sport.
Key Concepts: -accelerationis a change in speed over a period of time; the higher the acceleration, the faster the change in speed. Acceleration is a rate of change of speed; no change means there is no acceleration. If something is moving at constant speed, it is NOT accelerating. -coefficient of frictionis the measurement of the level of friction embodied in a particular material. The formula is μ = f/N, where μ is the coefficient of friction, f, is the amount of force that resists motion, and N is the normal force. Normal force is the force at which one surface is being pushed into another. -crumple zones are areas of an object designed to deform and crumple in an impact, as a means to absorb the energy of a collision. The fronts of most automobiles are designed as crumple zones to protect the passengers from frontal collisions. -drag is a term used in fluid dynamics that is sometimes referred to as air resistance or fluid resistance. Friction is one of multiple factors that influence the amount of drag encountered by a body moving through a fluid such as air or water. -inertia is when an object remains still or moves in a constant direction at a constant speed. -g forceis when a force acting on a body as a result of acceleration or gravity, informally described in units of acceleration equal to one g. -friction is a force that resists motion when two objects or surfaces come in contact. -force causes masses to accelerate; they are influences that cause a change of movement, direction, or shape. When you press on an object, you are exerting a force on it. When a robot is accelerating, it does so because of the force its wheels exert on the floor. Force is measured in units such as pounds or newtons. -kinetic friction/dynamic friction occurs when two objects are moving relative to each other and rub together (like a sled on the ground).
Here are some sketches of the helmet I designed:
Front
Side 1
Top
Side 2
Here are some images of the helmet I designed:
Front
Top
Side 1
Side 2
Reflection: Although this project was challenging at first, it was very interesting. Learning about the logistics of a helmet was new for me and there was a lot more to it than I had expected. Size, shape, ventilation, fit, and an acceptable field of vision are all major components for making a good helmet. In terms of constructing this helmet on the program, I had some difficulties. Getting the right shape for a human head as well as placing the mouth guard in the correct spot were some of my biggest challenges. The project overall was a good one to do because it not only taught us how to use computer programs like the Autodesk Fusion 360, but also allowed us to learn about something more relevant to our everyday lives.