Joaquin Arellanes

Joell Vaca
Nitin Mamidi
Landon Antonio

3D Helmet Design

Objective:
The overall goal of this project was to familiarize ourselves with Autodesk Fusion 360 by
creating a 3D design of a helmet made in accordance with safety laws.
Our Helmet:
Our helmet takes inspiration from the downloaded template, and deviates from it in multiple
ways. Being that our capstone project is designing a Go-Kart, designing a helmet is right up our
alley and a perfect way to stay in that lane.
How our Design Works in Compliance with Law:
There are many safety precautions and legalities put into place to ensure that riders are protected
when operating vehicles. The best way to make sure our helmet is safe is to have it meet all of
the DOT (Department of Transportation) requirements. One of the laws that is emphasized in
California law is how the helmet fits. A helmet shouldn’t have “​excessive lateral or vertical
movement.” And we designed our helmet that has a head opening around ⅔ of the diameter,
which ensures that when in motion, the helmet molds to the head shape and doesn’t move around
a lot. Another aspect that we made sure to include was a slit in which goggles could be inserted
onto the user, which is a lawful requirement by the state of Colorado. Our design was made in a
somewhat general way to ensure that it worked in compliance with all state laws, instead of just
one specific state, since we are looking to produce these in all locations, instead of solely
catering to one place. Safety is of the highest priority when operating any motorized vehicle and
that is why we are designing a helmet. Statistics show that wearing a helmet makes you three
times more likely to survive a potentially fatal accident. If you would like to know more about
the DOT standard, you can find links to our sources under “Helmet Safety” in the sources section
at the bottom.
 Images:

Specs of Helmet:
We decided to design our helmet in such a way that it contributed to the all around speed and
safety of the karting experience. Whereas many people who use Go Karts consider the helmet a
separate entity, we wanted to integrate it to compliment the actual kart itself. We decided to opt
for a visorless construction to improve ventilation and integrated feel of being present in the race.
The rider can choose to have goggles over the helmet if they desire. These are the specifications
and measurements of the helmet:

Diameter- 25 inches
Weight- Approx. 3 pounds

Key Concepts Integrated into our Design:

1. ACCELERATION: i​ s a change in speed over a period of time; the higher the acceleration, the faster the
change in speed. For example, if a car goes from 0 miles per hour (mph) to 60 mph in 2 seconds, it is a
higher acceleration than if the car goes from 0 mph to 40 mph in 2 seconds. Acceleration is the rate of
change of speed; NO change means NO acceleration. If something is moving at constant speed, it is NOT
accelerating.

Our Design: To assist with acceleration we designed our helmet with sloped chin guard and
smooth sides to prevent drag.

Equation of Acceleration​ = Δv/Δt, and in our case, we decided to measure the average speed that
a go kart travels at over 30 mph.

2. COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION ​is the measurement of the level of friction embodied in a particular
material. The formula is μ = f/N, where μ is the coefficient of friction, f, is the amount of force that resists
motion, and N is the normal force. Normal force is the force at which one surface is being pushed into
another.

Our Design: Using carbon fiber to create smooth flawless exterior shell reducing friction of
passing by the wearer.

3. CRUMPLE ZONES a​ re areas of an object designed to deform and crumple in an impact, as a means to
absorb the energy of a collision. The fronts of most automobiles are designed as crumple zones to protect
the passengers from frontal collisions.

Our Design: We designed our helmet with crumple zones between the padding and hard carbon
fiber shell. The ability for the helmet to crumple without collapsing insures the wearers safety in
the case of an accident.

4. DRAG​ is a term used in fluid dynamics that is sometimes referred to as air resistance or fluid resistance.
Friction is one of multiple factors that influence the amount of drag encountered by a body moving through
a fluid such as air or water.

Our Design: We designed our helmet with a smooth outer shell which diminishes in size towards
the rear of the helmet in order to reduce drag. We also opted to go without the addition of vents
in order to keep a smooth front side and reduce drag. Lastly we created the shell with a Ducktail
spoiler on the back in order to add drag to the back and keep the wearers head straight at high
speeds.

5. INERTIA​: when an object remains still or moves in a constant direction at a constant speed.

Our Design: The sleek design of our helmet reduces drag and helps maintain its inertia at high
wind speeds.

6. G FORCE​: a force acting on a body as a result of acceleration or gravity, informally described in units of
acceleration equal to one g.

Our Design: Using a strong and light material like carbon fiber reduces the weight and making
the effects of gravity on the helmet less noticeable.

7. FRICTION​ is a force that resists motion when two objects or surfaces come in contact.

Our Design: Creating a smooth carbon fiber shell for our helmet helps eliminate the friction of
the air passing by the wearers head.

8. FORCE​ causes masses to accelerate; they are influences that cause a change of movement, direction, or
shape. When you press on an object, you are exerting a force on it. When a robot is accelerating, it does so
because of the force its wheels exert on the floor. Force is measured in units such as pounds or newtons.
For instance, the weight of an object is the force on the object due to gravity (accelerating the object
towards the center of the earth).

Our Design: The main force we need to have in our minds when designing a helmet is the force
of the air pressing against it. This is why we created a smooth and hard shell to reduce the effects
of the force of air on it.

9. KINETIC FRICTION (or dynamic friction)​ occurs when two objects are moving relative to each other
and rub together (like a sled on the ground).

Our Design: The “objects” in question here are air and the helmet. Again, to reduce the slowing
effects of kinetic friction we used a smooth shell that lessens drag.
 Sketches:
Orthogonal(Left) and Perspective(Right)

Sources:
1. Helmet sizes:
https://bestmotorcyclehelmetguide.net/motorcycle-helmet-sizing/
2. Helmet weight:
https://www.motocard.com/en/blog/comparisons-and-rankings/helmets/the
-8-lightest-motorcycle-helmets-of-the-world/
a. Helmet Laws:
https://www.edgarsnyder.com/motorcycle-accidents/state-helmet-law
s/
b. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_c
ontent_en/dmv/pubs/dl655/mcycle_htm/preparing
c. https://billyscrashhelmets.com/what-is-dot-motorcycle-crash-helmet-
standard/
3. Term Definitions:
https://sites.google.com/students.nusd.org/stemse/unit-4/u4-design-an-hel
met-3d?authuser=0
4. 3D Software:
https://www.autodesk.com/campaigns/fusion-360-for-hobbyists