Disruptive in both form and function, the Madillo helmet is quite unlike any helmet you may have seen. For starters, it ditches the regular hard-hat shell you’d expect from a helmet, for something Lukas calls an auxetic material, or a material capable of stretching in a given direction. This material and unusual pattern gives the Madillo the ability to comfortably take the shape of your head, embracing its shape. Connecting cords hold the helmet together and can be stretched through the earpiece (image above), to adjust the Madillo helmet’s shape.
Its hollow, grille-like design also allows light to pass through its crevasses, giving the Madillo the ability to work as an indicator. A thin lighting module sits under the outer material, shining to indicate when you’re turning left or right. Visible to the people beside and behind you, this feature helps fellow drivers know where you’re headed… but that’s not all. The Madillo comes with a life-saving beacon too that lights the helmet up to attract the attention of passers-by. Additionally, it even sends an SOS signal out to the nearest hospital and summons for an ambulance, while transmitting your location to make sure you’re escorted to safety.
The Madillo Helmet is a winner of the iF Design Talent Award for the year 2018.
Designer: Lukas Franz (University of Applied Sciences)
