With a rather ingenious piece of engineering, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials have come up with a way to force you to replace a damaged crash helmet: Make it stink.
A bike helmet is designed to absorb any impact meant for your head. Like your head, it will break when given a good enough whack, and also like your head, it won’t really work properly afterwards. The new Fraunhofer design mixes malodorous chemical capsules into the helmet’s shell. When the plastic is damaged, the oils are released and your head starts to smell like a hobo’s crotch.
The use of smelly chemicals to alert us to danger isn’t new: the gas that we use to cook is odorless and therefore undetectable without added smell. The Fraunhofer researchers haven’t specified the actual aroma they might use, but I favor something rank. If your lid starts to smell like roses, it is a warning easily ignored. If, however, it makes your noggin emit a hum that makes a dog’s breath seem like a fresh spring breeze then you will be shamed into buying a replacement.
Crash helmet with a useful smell [Physorg via DVICE]
Photo: Fraunhofer IWM
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