A young design graduate has created the world’s first folding motorcycle helmet. Designed for easy storage and portability, Jessica Dunn’s Proteus helmet folds up small enough to fit inside a student’s backpack. The idea came to the 25-year-old Australian while riding in Indonesia.
“I rode a motorcycle every day when I was in Indonesia on study exchange but had to buy a helmet from a roadside stall after mine was stolen,” said Dunn. “I had to carry it around with me every day for the next five months and wanted one I could put in my backpack.”
The Proteus has been short-listed for the James Dyson Award for Innovation. Run by the billionaire inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, the award carries a £10,000 prize to help with development of the winning product. The winning design will be announced on July 22, 2011 in Melbourne.