Abstract
Bicycle helmets help reducing head injuries in cycling accidents, but they are not always popular. Discomfort is a major barrier for bicycle helmet use. Improper anthropometric design of the inner structure of a helmet can result in local peak pressure on the skin of the scalp. The purpose of this study was to examine the spatial variations in maximum allowed pressure on the head. Mean maximum allowed pressure on the head was 13,2N (SE 0,2) for females and 16,5N (SE 0,2) for men. The superior frontal area (19,4N, SE 0,7) and the central occipital area (18,3N, SE 0,7N) were the least sensitive areas for male test persons. For females, also the central occipital area had a low sensitivity. In contrast, the inferior frontal area was the most sensitive for men (12,4N SE 0,7N) and women (9,7N SE 0,8N). Headgear should avoid pressure points in areas with high sensitivity.
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Broekhuizen, R., De Rydt, T., Lutters, E., Klooster, R.T., De Bruyne, G. (2019). Head Sensitivity for Designing Bicycle Helmets with Improved Physical Comfort. In: Rebelo, F., Soares, M. (eds) Advances in Ergonomics in Design. AHFE 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 777. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94706-8_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94706-8_2
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