Halo Helmet

UC San Diego

MAE 156B - Fall 2025

Sponsor

Paul Shockley

Team Members

Cameron Fisher-Gomez Ryan Mallon Alessandra Martinez Jimmy Nguyen

Background

Objectives

Final Design Overview

Background

Protective helmets have long been the primary means of safeguarding a wearer’s head in high-impact activities such as mountain biking and extreme sports. However, traditional designs mainly absorb impact forces at the head, offering limited protection to the neck and spinal cord. This limitation increases the risk of severe injuries, particularly in high-speed or unpredictable impacts.

As extreme sports continue to grow in popularity, the need for advanced protective solutions becomes more pressing, making this innovation a crucial step forward in impact safety.

Neck brace offers some protection from hyperflexion.

Objectives

This project introduces a helmet-integrated roll cage system designed to redistribute impact forces away from the head and neck. By anchoring the system to the upper body via a harness, forces are dispersed more effectively, reducing the likelihood of traumatic brain and spinal injuries.

Executive Summary

Final Design Overview

Design Details

Roll cage

Main protective component, transfers forces throughout structure during an impact. Hip pivots with needle bearing increase mobility at the waist while retaining rigid structure.

Polycarbonate tubing reinforced with fiberglass joints. Aluminum 6061 machined hip-pivots.

Impact Testing

Hip-pivot

Greatly increased hip flexion range of motion compared to initial prototypes.

Machined from aluminum 6061 with a needle bearing slip fit to reduce friction.

Anchor Points

Placement selected to allow for high mobility and impact resistance:

Lumber spine
Chest
Hips

3D printed with ABS for prototyping purposes.

Mobility Measurements

Halo Dome

Visor used to retain users head inside during a collision, while maintaining a broad field of view.

3D printed shape overlaid with fiberglass for impact resistance.

Visibility Measurement