International Dealer News IDN 146 December 2018 / January 2019 | Page 42
PRO GuIDe eXTRA
MIPS Multi-directional
Impact Protection
System
eveloped in Sweden by
neurosurgeon Hans von Holst and
Peter Halldin of the Royal Institute
of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm,
the MIPS (Multi-directional
Impact Protection System) low friction layer
is designed to add to the protections already
offered by approved motorcycle helmets by
focussing on, and protecting against, the
rotational motion (or kinematics) that can be
transmitted to the brain from angled impacts
to the head.
Rotational motion is a combination of rotational
energy (angular velocity) and rotational forces from
angular acceleration that affect the brain and
increase the risk for minor and severe brain injuries.
Addition of the MIPS system to a helmet design “has
been proven to reduce rotational motion when
implemented in a helmet by redirecting energies and
forces otherwise transmitted to the brain”.
MIPS works independently of impact direction. It is
a multi-directional impact protection system – most
motorcycle helmet impacts occur at an angle, and
this is what can generate rotational motion. When
D
In standard helmet tests, the helmet is dropped vertically onto a flat surface. The results are helpful for
measuring precise vertical impacts, but far inferior for measuring the more realistic scenario of an angled
impact. MIPS has been developed for reality and increases protection against angled impacts and
thoroughly tested at MIPS test labs.
“most impacts
occur at an angle”
the helmet impacts the ground at an angle, the
helmet and the head could start to rotate if the
friction is high enough. The brain floats in
cerebrospinal fluid and can move slightly within the
skull.
Rotational force can cause the brain to move
suddenly and with significant force, which can cause
stretching, twisting or tearing in the brain and it is
known that the human brain is more sensitive to
rotational motion than linear motion. The brain is
more sensitive to rotational motion due to the fact
that it is very much like water or a gel when it comes
In a helmet with MIPS Brain Protection System (BPS), the shell and the liner are separated by a low
friction Layer. When a helmet with MIPS Brain Protection System is subjected to an angled impact, the
low friction layer allows the helmet to slide relative to the head. The MIPS BPS is designed to add
protection in helmets against the rotational motion. The rotational motion is a combination of
rotational energy (angular velocity) and rotational forces (from angular acceleration) that both affects
the brain and increases the risk for minor and severe brain injuries. MIPS BPS has been scientifically
proven to reduce rotational motion when implemented in a helmet by absorbing and redirecting
rotational energies and forces transferred to the brain.
“low friction layer
protects against
rotational motion
brain damage”
to its shear properties. The brain, like water, is also
incompressible. Therefore, linear motion will not
affect the brain as much as rotational motion.
Although the hair and scalp can reduce friction
between the helmet and the head, they are often
ineffective at impact because the force between the
head and the helmet is too high and the impact
occurs too quickly to allow the hair and scalp to
work. The MIPS low friction layer allows 10-15 mm
of sliding quickly at impact. The sliding occurs for 3-
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The illustration is based on data that was generated using a finite element computer model, based on
measurements obtained from nine accelerometers in a Hybrid III crash test dummy head. The dummy
head wearing a helmet was subjected to an angled impact using the MIPS test rig. The model illustrates
strain in the brain from a similar angled impact when the dummy head is wearing a helmet without
MIPS and a helmet with MIPS.
INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019
www.idnmag.com