Progettazione e sviluppo di un sistema avanzato di protezione cranio-cerebrale per caschi da ciclismo

In the last century, the development of cycling helmets has shown significant advancements aimed at improving user safety and comfort. Major progress was achieved with the introduction of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS). When combined, these materials provide excellent resistance to impact forces typical of crashes. In the past decade, the focus of helmet development has moved to the protection of the user’s head against rotational forces. These forces, often encountered during oblique impacts, have been identified as a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. To address this issue, helmet designs have increasingly incorporated friction-reducing layers positioned between the helmet and the head. These layers effectively minimize the rotational forces transmitted to the head, thereby reducing the risk of injury. This work presents several new conceptual designs, accompanied by their evaluation through a moment of inertia index and Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations. The FEM analyses measures the tangential accelerations and velocities transmitted to the head, providing an evaluation of the designs' potential to reduce rotational forces. Additionally, the distribution of transmitted forces is analyzed to evaluate the comfort perceived by the user, ensuring a balance between safety and usability.