Computed Tomography Analyzes Skeletonist Helmet

Up to 140 kilometers per hour, head first, body just inches above the ice and competition from the best racers. This awaits multiple world champion Anna Fernstädtová at the upcoming games in Beijing. The helmet developed in cooperation between the company of downhill driver Ondřej Bank (Vagus) and the company One3D should also help her in the fight for medals. This has now been analyzed in the Brno laboratories of CEITEC BUT to ensure maximum material safety.

The close cooperation between Vagus and One3D created a five-member team that developed and manufactured a Kevlar helmet tailored to a Czech competitor. To ensure maximum comfort, they scanned her head. “Based on the resulting 3D data, we created the entire liner using advanced software, which was then produced using industrial 3D printing. The result is that the helmet fits perfectly on the head and even in corners with the highest overload, there are no disturbing movements or shifts and at the same time it is significantly safer,” said Ondřej Bank, owner of Vagus.

Researchers from CEITEC BUT were given the task of looking into the final structure of the helmet to verify that everything is working. Their state-of-the-art X-ray computed tomography device enables an non-destructive analysis. They were able to test the inner skeleton of the helmet and verify that the rod structure ensures the safe absorption of a possible impact is correctly made.

“We checked whether all segments of the structure are correctly connected and whether they have a defined diameter of members. We also examined the attachment of the structure to the helmet body,”  said Jozef Kaiser, head of the Advanced Instrumentation and Materials Characterization research group. The aim of their analysis was to confirm that the helmet is as safe as possible.