Engineering Notebook
Put a Lid on It:
Engineering Safety Helmets
Name:
Crash Test Engineering
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The Engineering Design Process
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© Museum of Science
Prep
Activity
1
My Engineering Profile
Think about yourself as an engineer.
Check off your engineering strengths.
Circle any engineering skills you’d like to practice getting better at throughout the
rest of this engineering unit.
communicating
making a plan
building things
offering critical feedback on others work
imagining
receiving feedback on your own work
being creative
moving forward after something doesn’t work
drawing
thinking of different ways to do something
working on a team
solving problems
leading a team
troubleshooting problems
analyzing data
Are there other engineering skills that you feel are strengths or things you hope to get
better at? List ideas here and add to your list as you move through the unit.
Can you think of a technology you use
every day that you could use engineering
to improve? How would you improve it?
Crash Test Engineering
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Activity
1
The EDP: Pasta Package
As you engineer your pasta package, keep track of how you use each
step of the Engineering Design Process.
Step 1: Identify
Your challenge is to engineer something to protect the model brain from
breaking when it falls.
Step 2: Investigate
Circle the materials you think will work:
pipe cleaners
craft foam
masking tape
cotton balls
small bubble
wrap
large bubble
wrap
Steps 3 and 4: Imagine and Plan
Imagine some package designs and draw diagrams of them. Circle the
package you will actually plan out and create.
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Activity
1
The EDP: Pasta Package
Step 5: Create
Use your calipers to check that your package design is less than 3
inches in any direction.
If your package meets this criterion, move
forward to testing!
Step 6: Test
What happened to the pasta when
you dropped your package?
__ the pasta was fine
__ the pasta cracked
__ the pasta broke
Was your package less than
3 inches in all directions?
__ yes
__ no
Step 7: Improve
How could you make your package better? Draw or write below.
Step 8: Communicate
Share one thing you learned from this activity:
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Crash Test Engineering
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Activity
2
Brain Diagrams
Brain Lobes:
What Parts of the Brain Control:
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2
Activity
Concussion Simulation
Obstacle Course Times:
Run 1 (no concussion symptoms):
Run 2 (with concussion symptoms):
Describe your experience below.
What sort of symptoms did you feel during the simulated concussion run?
How were the two runs different?
What activities were challenging with the concussion symptoms?
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Activity
3
History of Hardhats
A hundred years ago, the hard hat didn’t exist. Even
fifty years ago, head protection wasn’t widely required
for workers. But, thanks to increased concern and
other advances in safety, the hard hat was created and
improved.
In the late 1800s there was a manufacturing company
called Bullard that sold mining equipment to gold and
copper miners. In 1919, their first safety helmet was
patented. The Bullard helmet was based on a helmet
that the CEO had worn as a soldier during World War I.
Early 1900s Hard Hat
The original safety helmet was made out of steamed canvas, glue, a leather brim, and black
paint. Most importantly, there was a suspension device built inside that held the “bucket”
portion of the helmet off of the head.
In 1938, Bullard designed and manufactured the first aluminum hard hat, which was
very durable and lightweight for the time. There are disadvantages to aluminum, though.
Aluminum helmets conduct electricity, for example. Later helmet designs have used
fiberglass and plastic as materials.
Today’s Yellow Hard Hat
When you mention hard hats, many people
imagine a yellow, plastic version. This common
design does have many features that make it
desirable to use. Because it is made of plastic
it is lightweight, durable, and does not conduct
electricity. The shape has also been designed
to offer good movement. The interior contains
a shock liner and padding to make the helmet
comfortable. New versions include vents that help
keep the user cool.
Modern Hard Hat
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source: http://www.bullard.com/V3/products/
head_face/head_protection/Hard_Hat_History/
© Museum of Science
3
Activity
History of Hockey Helmets
On January 13, 1968, Minnesota’s Bill Masterton hit his
head on the ice and never regained consciousness. His
death remains the only on-ice fatality in National Hockey
League history. Like almost all pro players then, Masterton
wasn’t wearing a helmet. Although many players in the early
days of the sport wore hats, they were just trying to keep
their heads warm, not protected.
There were occasional attempts in the early 1900s to have
players wear helmets, but the idea never stuck. In the late
1930s, for example, Detroit general manager and coach
Jack Adams made helmets mandatory for all Wings. One
by one, the players abandoned them, saying they were too
confining or uncomfortable.
1980s Hockey Helmet
Perhaps the most influential spokesman for helmets was Red
Kelly, the longtime Wings defenseman. Kelly began wearing
a
helmet shortly after being traded to Toronto in 1960. “Kelly plays it safe,” proclaimed a safety
brochure distributed in Canadian schools. By 1964, about 200,000 players in the Toronto
Hockey League were wearing the mandated helmets.
The first helmets widely worn in the NHL were molded plastic helmets imported from Europe.
In the early 1970s, General Electric produced a helmet made of synthetic material called
Lexan. This helmet also featured a suspension system
that kept the head from contacting the outer shell.
On June 1, 1979, the NHL began requiring anyone
entering the league after that date to wear a helmet.
Existing players could continue to go hatless if they
wished. The last player to play without a helmet in the
NHL was Craig MacTavish of the St. Louis Blues during
the 1996 to 1997 season.
Source: http://blog.detroitathletic.com/2011/11/02/a-shortheads-up-history-of-the-hockey-helmet/
Modern Hockey Helmet
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Activity
3
History of American Football Helmets
Head injuries are one of the biggest risks of
playing football. Because players run at high
speeds and collide into one another headfirst, injuries can be severe. Wearing specially
designed helmets can help reduce the risk of
injury.
Leather Helmets
Leather helmets were the first type of helmet used
by football players. These helmets were soft and
offered a very thin layer of padding. The helmets
were so soft and flexible that they could be folded
up and put in a player’s pocket.
In the 1930s helmet designers began treating the
leather so that it was harder. More padding was
also added.
Modern Football Helmet
Plastic Helmets
The National Football League introduced plastic helmets in the 1940s and 1950s. Plastic
helmets are still used today, though the designs have changed drastically and helped improve
the comfort and safety of the helmets. Some of the helmets used today even containing
electronic monitors that register the impact sustained by the helmet and can alert players
and coaches about potential concussions and brain
damage.
Addition of Graphics
In the 1940s, teams began placing colored graphics
on the outside of leather helmets. The first team to do
this was the Los Angeles Rams. They painted blue and
yellow rams horsn on each side of the leather helmet.
Graphics continue to be used by most teams today.
source: http://www.extremeteamsports.com/FootballPop%20Warner/HistoryOfFootballHelmets.htm
1930s Football Helmet
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© Museum of Science
3
Activity
History of Bicycle Helmets
Like many other athletes, bicyclists first used leather
helmets. By the 1970s some cyclists had taken to wearing
hockey or mountaineering helmets since no hard helmets
specifically designed for cyclists existed. Cyclists saw the
need for head protection, but it was difficult to find light
weight helmets that did not obstruct views and offered
ventilation.
Around 1973, a company called Mountain Safety Research,
introduced a modified mountaineering helmet that many cyclists
used. The helmet used cloth webbing attached by side clips
to provide impact absorption. They later added foam inserts
between the webbing straps. The next year, a company called
Bell introduced the first helmet designed from scratch specifically
for bicycling. It used foam as its impact-absorbing material, and
No-shell Bicycle Helmet
had tapered ventilating inlets, as do most other bicycle helmets made
since.
Modern Helmets
There are three main types of modern bicycle helmets:
Hardshell: This type of helmet has a hard plastic shell designed to resist penetration by
pointed rocks, curbs, etc. Most skate-style helmets are still made this way.
No-shell: For a short while, in the late 1980s, bicycle helmets were made from an expanded
polystyrene shell covered with thin cloth. This helmet weighed less than other helmets, but
questions arose as to whether the polystyrene might snag on rough pavement during a fall.
This could cause brain and neck injury due to
head rotation. Also, such helmets would
often break apart on impact.
Thin-shell: This type of helmet is covered with a
thin plastic shell. It provides a smooth surface to
avoid snagging on rough pavement, and helps to
hold the helmet together on impact. In
high-end helmets with big vents, reinforcing of
plastic, nylon or more exotic materials is molded
inside the expanded polystyrene. Most helmets
made and sold since 1990 are thin-shell helmets.
Source: http://sheldonbrown.com/helmets.html
Modern Bicycle Helmet
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Activity
3
Materials Price List
Material
Price
Cotton Ball
$0.10
Pipe Cleaner
$0.25
Yarn
$0.50/foot
Masking Tape
$0.05/inch
Aluminum Foil
$1.00/sheet
Fabric
$1.00/sheet
Cardboard
$1.00/sheet
Craft Foam Sheet
$1.00/sheet
Batting
$2.00/sheet
Small Bubble Wrap
$2.00/sheet
Large Bubble Wrap
$2.00/sheet
Rigid Foam
$2.00/sheet
Aluminum Tray
$2.00
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© Museum of Science
Activity
3
Plan
Draw a labeled diagram of your helmet plan and list materials you will need
to create it.
Material:
Price:
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Crash Test Engineering
Material:
Price:
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Activity
3
Create: Helmet Scoring Sheet
Thickness Score
Procedure: Use the caliper to measure the thickness of your
helmet
Score
My Score
3
Helmet is less than 1 inch thick
2
Helmet is between 1 and 2 inches thick
1
Helmet is more than 2 inches thick
Weight Score
Procedure: Place an empty plastic cup on the scale and tare the
scale to zero. Then balance your helmet onto the cup and record
the weight.
Score
My Score
3
Helmet weighs under 50 grams
2
Helmet weighs between 50-100 grams
1
Helmet weighs over 100 grams
Safety Score
Procedure: Secure a small plastic bag containing one paint ball
to the top of the model head. Place your helmet onto the model
head, drop the head to the floor, and inspect the paint ball.
Score
My Score
3
The paint ball is not damaged at all.
2
The paint ball is cracked and leaking
1
The paint ball is smashed.
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© Museum of Science
3
Activity
Create: Helmet Scoring Sheet
Cost
Add up the total cost of materials you used.
$_______________
Score
3
2
1
Cost is less than $5
Cost is between $5 and $10
Cost is more than $10
Add up all of your scores to get the
total score.
My Score
Total
Score =
Use the space below to note or draw any observations you make during
testing. Are there ways you would like to improve your helmet next time?
Crash Test Engineering
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Activity
4
Improved Helmet Plan
Draw a labeled diagram of your improved helmet plan and list materials you
will need to create it. You can improve upon your existing helmet or create a
new one.
Material:
Price:
_______________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________
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Material:
Price:
_______________________________________________________________________________
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© Museum of Science
4
Activity
Improved Helmet Scoring Sheet
Thickness Score
Procedure: Use the caliper to measure the thickness of your
helmet
Score
My Score
3
Helmet is less than 1 inch thick
2
Helmet is between 1 and 2 inches thick
1
Helmet is more than 2 inches thick
Weight Score
Procedure: Place an empty plastic cup on the scale and tare the
scale to zero. Then balance your helmet onto the cup and record
the weight.
Score
My Score
3
Helmet weighs under 50 grams
2
Helmet weighs between 50-100 grams
1
Helmet weighs over 100 grams
Safety Score
Procedure: Secure a small plastic bag containing one paint ball
to the top of the model head. Place your helmet onto the model
head, drop the head to the floor, and inspect the paint ball.
Score
My Score
3
The paint ball is not damaged at all.
2
The paint ball is cracked and leaking
1
The paint ball is smashed.
Crash Test Engineering
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Activity
4
Improved Helmet Scoring Sheet
Cost
Add up the total cost of materials you used.
$_______________
Score
3
2
1
Cost is less than $5
Cost is between $5 and $10
Cost is more than $10
Add up all of your scores to get the
total score.
My Score
Total
Score =
Use the space below to note or draw any observations you make during
testing. Are there ways you would like to improve your helmet next time?
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© Museum of Science
5
Activity
Communicate
During the showcase, you will get to share information about your engineering challenge with
people who are not familiar with the problem. What are some things you might want to tell
them about engineering helmets?
Communicate
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