In 2022, 75% of riders died in road accidents for not wearing helmets
In 2023, Bengaluru witnessed 880 deadly road incidents
Research on how to improve helmets based on AI in progress
According to a report by FICCI-EY, about 1.5 million people die in road accidents in India each year. This is about 11% of the world’s total road accident deaths. Worldwide, someone dies from a road accident every 24 seconds.
In 2022, in Bengaluru, approximately 75% of individuals who lost their lives in motorcycle accidents were wearing helmets. This suggests that the helmets used may not have been designed for adequate protection, or they were not worn properly. Conversely, 25% of the motorcyclists who died in accidents were not wearing helmets at all.
In 2023, Bengaluru witnessed 880 deadly road incidents, resulting in the deaths of 909 individuals. This averages out to 75 fatalities per month, marking it as the highest death toll on the city’s roads in over a decade.
The traffic commissioner, Anucheth, highlighted traffic infractions like the absence of seat belts and the non-usage of high-quality helmets as significant factors contributing to the increase in fatalities. He mentioned that even a collision at 50 km/h could be deadly without the protection of a good helmet. Additionally, he suggested that a decrease in police patrols on the streets might have lessened the deterrent effect on motorists, potentially leading them to drive faster.
Engineers from the University of Colorado Boulder and Sandia National Laboratories have created a novel design with the help of artificial intelligence that has the potential to substitute the existing cushioning in bike helmets.
The team’s new creation is a type of foam made from bouncy or springy materials that can absorb large shocks. This invention, which can be made using standard 3D printers, has the potential to be used in different products, such as shipping boxes or protective gear for football players.
This new development is designed to protect fragile items or people from everyday impacts and collisions.
Their study, shared in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies, investigates foams. These are common materials recognized for being soft and compressible, often not given much attention.
Traditional foams are good at absorbing shocks, but they usually squash down into hard shapes when pressed. The research suggests a new idea: using computer programs to change the inside design of the foam. This allows it to fold in specific ways when pushed, controlling how it handles force.
Lab experiments showed that these newly designed foams could take in up to 25 percent more force than current ones.
“The type of material used to absorb shocks is important,” said Robert MacCurdy, the lead researcher of the study. “However, the shape and structure are what truly make a difference.”
The complex spaces inside foams soak up energy when they are squeezed. Some engineers have come up with new designs that use structures similar to towers or “plate lattices” that look like honeycombs. These structures fold in a wave pattern when hit, making them better at absorbing shocks.
The team worked to make the cushioning better by changing the design inside to be very small, less than a millimetre big. They used special computer programs to create patterns like honeycombs and made small curves to them.
These small bends help control how the honeycomb shapes squeeze together, making them collapse slowly. This helps them absorb shocks better.
“As soon as you press these designs, they start taking in a certain level of force,” MacCurdy explained. The best absorber designs maintain a constant force across the whole range of compression.”
The experiments found that their blocks made with a 3D printer could take in about six times more energy than typical foams made from the same stuff, and even 25 percent more than other designs with honeycomb patterns.
Right now, MacCurdy and his group are working on improving their designs to perform even better.(The author Girish Linganna is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach out to him at: [email protected])
In 2022, 75% of riders died in road accidents for not wearing helmets
In 2023, Bengaluru witnessed 880 deadly road incidents
Research on how to improve helmets based on AI in progress
According to a report by FICCI-EY, about 1.5 million people die in road accidents in India each year. This is about 11% of the world’s total road accident deaths. Worldwide, someone dies from a road accident every 24 seconds.
In 2022, in Bengaluru, approximately 75% of individuals who lost their lives in motorcycle accidents were wearing helmets. This suggests that the helmets used may not have been designed for adequate protection, or they were not worn properly. Conversely, 25% of the motorcyclists who died in accidents were not wearing helmets at all.
In 2023, Bengaluru witnessed 880 deadly road incidents, resulting in the deaths of 909 individuals. This averages out to 75 fatalities per month, marking it as the highest death toll on the city’s roads in over a decade.
The traffic commissioner, Anucheth, highlighted traffic infractions like the absence of seat belts and the non-usage of high-quality helmets as significant factors contributing to the increase in fatalities. He mentioned that even a collision at 50 km/h could be deadly without the protection of a good helmet. Additionally, he suggested that a decrease in police patrols on the streets might have lessened the deterrent effect on motorists, potentially leading them to drive faster.
Engineers from the University of Colorado Boulder and Sandia National Laboratories have created a novel design with the help of artificial intelligence that has the potential to substitute the existing cushioning in bike helmets.
The team’s new creation is a type of foam made from bouncy or springy materials that can absorb large shocks. This invention, which can be made using standard 3D printers, has the potential to be used in different products, such as shipping boxes or protective gear for football players.
This new development is designed to protect fragile items or people from everyday impacts and collisions.
Their study, shared in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies, investigates foams. These are common materials recognized for being soft and compressible, often not given much attention.
Traditional foams are good at absorbing shocks, but they usually squash down into hard shapes when pressed. The research suggests a new idea: using computer programs to change the inside design of the foam. This allows it to fold in specific ways when pushed, controlling how it handles force.
Lab experiments showed that these newly designed foams could take in up to 25 percent more force than current ones.
“The type of material used to absorb shocks is important,” said Robert MacCurdy, the lead researcher of the study. “However, the shape and structure are what truly make a difference.”
The complex spaces inside foams soak up energy when they are squeezed. Some engineers have come up with new designs that use structures similar to towers or “plate lattices” that look like honeycombs. These structures fold in a wave pattern when hit, making them better at absorbing shocks.
The team worked to make the cushioning better by changing the design inside to be very small, less than a millimetre big. They used special computer programs to create patterns like honeycombs and made small curves to them.
These small bends help control how the honeycomb shapes squeeze together, making them collapse slowly. This helps them absorb shocks better.
“As soon as you press these designs, they start taking in a certain level of force,” MacCurdy explained. The best absorber designs maintain a constant force across the whole range of compression.”
The experiments found that their blocks made with a 3D printer could take in about six times more energy than typical foams made from the same stuff, and even 25 percent more than other designs with honeycomb patterns.
Right now, MacCurdy and his group are working on improving their designs to perform even better.(The author Girish Linganna is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach out to him at: [email protected])
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