It’s been a big discovery that helmets don’t help us a lot to save our brains from rotational concussions and their possible consequences. Gladly, this information hasn’t been put in a drawer, and one of the leaders of the cycling industry, Trek, proves this with its new helmet design.
The main improvement is the technology called WaveCel. It mimics the protecting fluid our brain floats in with the use of honeycomb type layer inside the helmet. It will help prevent dangerous concussions by absorbing a lot of rotational energy.
Before the new researches and innovations, the inside of all helmets was covered in EPS (expanded Polystyrene). It helped by taking a part of the hit onto itself, but initially such helmets were created for one crush, so they wouldn’t help you much once the shell collides with something. This technology was first used in the 60s, so it’s just about time to change something.
Why WaveCel and Similar Technologies Are Important
The researches of people with concussions gave scientists a lot of information about how our brain behaves when a collision occurs. You see, the brain isn’t static inside the head, it floats inside the skull, like an onion in a jar. Yes, there is cushioning, nature isn’t dumb, but in many collisions it’s not enough.
Imagine taking a jar and shaking it, and see what happens with the onion. It hits the walls and doesn’t feel really well, does it? This was the part of the groundbreaking and eye-opening truth about concussions. Even one rotational concussion may damage nerves inside your brain, which may lead to horrendous consequences.
WaveCel Is a New Step in Preventing Crush-Induced Brain Injuries
In 2001, a multi-directional impact protection system (MIPS) was created to ensure most types of collisions and therefore concussions were covered. It repeated the effect our cerebrospinal fluid makes by cushioning our brain. It added a thin liner to the structure and caused low friction that helped the helmet move back and forth to eliminate as much shock from different kinds of crushes, creating cushioning.
So, WaveCel works a lot like MIPS, but it also absorbs the energy from high-intensity crashes as it starts building up. The MIPS technology works well until friction starts increasing, so the helmet can’t deflect that energy anymore.
Up till now, this is the most modern and research-based technology that helps not only one’s skull survive during a massive collision, but also one’s brain.
