Innovative New Helmet Liner for Hot Climates Hot

Motorcycle helmets are known to be extremely uncomfortable when riding around in tropical, sub-tropical or excessively hot environments. Dr. Sinnappoo Kanesalingam, an Australian researcher, has a new motorcycle helmet design which could make life far more comfortable for riders who must brave such nasty weather.

Cool New Helmet Design

That is the operative word here – COOL. Dr. Kanesalingam's new helmet design uses an advanced new technology which he states will lower the interior temperature of the helmet by 16° Fahrenheit (9° C), and that large change will significantly improve rider comfort on a hot and humid day. Behind this ability is a new helmet liner design made from an innovative combined textile material.

Dr. Kanesalingam is currently demonstrating his new helmet design for certain manufacturers who serve the warmer countries of the world, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. The revolutionary cooling ability of the helmet construction is partially due to its shell, true, but the design of the new liner material is where the real work is done; it is special, and this is what he is offering the helmet industry right now.

Transforming Helmet Liner Design

The heart of this innovation originates from the use of a technology which has been widely available for nearly a decade. We are talking about phase change material (PCM) here; it regulates its temperature using microscopic 'balls' of a substance which can store enormous amounts of heat energy. The new PCM helmet liner will absorb or release excess heat by turning from solid to liquid and back again within a very tiny self-contained system.

To control the moisture content within this new helmet design, Dr. Kanesalingam has also made use of a polymeric water absorbent textile (PWAT). Excess humidity contributes significantly to discomfort inside a motorcycle helmet, especially on a long day in high heat and heavy traffic, and this new helmet liner's moisture wicking and blocking ability provide welcome relief.

The Work of Dr. Kanesalingam

Dr. Kanesalingam works in the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology), and is a leading researcher in high tech textiles, both natural and synthetic. In fact, he is also developing military protective garments intended to secure against damage from explosions and the dreaded IEDs.

An obvious enthusiasm for Dr. Kanesalingam is safety; protecting people is what he does, and focusing on comfort gives his research a certain extra boost. After all, wearing safety gear that doesn't annoy you, constrict you or get in the way of your work or your ride is far safer for you, and you are much more likely to use it every single time. His new helmet liner design is perfectly aligned to continue this great mission.

New Liner Uses

Though the new helmet design will hopefully reach production within the next twelve months, it is also possible that the new liner material could be integrated easily into existing helmet models being produced today. Should a company wish to use this technology within an existing product sold within the right market, Dr. Kanesalingam can help them make it possible.

The uses of this new helmet liner design are not limited to the world of motorcycles, or even motorsport. Dr. Kanesalingam sees this new material being used in everything from construction hard hats to specialized fire headgear, but motorcycle helmets are his ideal first implementation. And, at present, he is targeting Vietnam as the first market; it helps that RMIT has a campus there.

Availability of the New Helmet Liner

Though there is no firm date for when you will first see a helmet liner using the combination of PWAT and PCM, it is likely to be widely available as soon as manufacturing costs are reasonable (though, it could make production in some small markets sooner). The estimated extra expense is around US$80 presently, but mass production and quick adoption will bring this down to something far more affordable.

Conceptualize riding out in late August around Thailand wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet which feels soft and dry against your skin even with the heat near 110° F in the shade. Your helmet becomes far less of a hassle, so it is easier to use – this is the idea behind Dr. Kanesalingam and his new motorcycle helmet liner design.