Colloquia

Summary

In the dynamic world of sports, where collisions and impacts are inevitable, the efficacy of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) becomes paramount. This thesis endeavors to revolutionize PPE by envisioning a future where safety and enhanced performance coalesce seamlessly. Moving beyond conventional protection, the project explores essential attributes like comfort, fit, and weight to redefine wearability. Drawing inspiration from nature's evolutionary brilliance, the project integrates bio-inspired architected structures into PPE design, taking cues from the protective qualities found in the natural world, such as the resilience of fruit skin.

Utilizing Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) printing, an additive manufacturing technology, the project pioneers a novel approach to crafting complex and efficient PPE structures. This process not only allows for innovative design iterations but also fosters collaborative development, surmounting the limitations of traditional methods. The resulting bio-inspired architected structure, exemplified in a helmet liner, features a gradient inner composition and auxetic properties, elevating impact resistance and simplifying manufacturing. The design, produced through traditional FDM printing as a flat structure, eliminates the need for supports, seamlessly transitioning from a two-dimensional to a three-dimensional shape for a perfect fit. Real-world scenarios, simulated through impact testing, provided critical data for selecting the most suitable structure, ensuring the final bicycle helmet liner excels in impact resistance, recovery capabilities, and meets crucial requirements such as weight, fit, and comfort. This thesis thus marks a paradigm shift in the realm of sports safety, blending nature's wisdom, advanced manufacturing techniques, and innovative design to guarantee safety, comfort, and peak performance for sports enthusiasts.