FILIPPO TOMASI

design engineer



OOBLY



Industrial design - Material experimentation - User experience





22 January - 16 February 2018
Group work : Filippo Tomasi ~ Rocco Giovannoni ~ Bomin Kim ~ Yang Wang



Oobly is a protection device that join the comfort of use with the research on non-Newtonian materials. The brief given was to explore innovations developing from technologies, materials, construction of materials, materials production and manufacturing that offer new ways of protecting ourselves in the future. From suits of armour to protect ourselves in conflict to saddles that protect horse and rider through to materials for protecting us outside the earth’s atmosphere we have harnessed materials for extreme uses and environments.
The challenge here was to harness smart innovative thinking through materials and its beneficial context.



SCENARIO





Oobly is an innovative helmet for for patients with epilepsy. The project is aimed primarily at children, in which are recorded the major problems following a sudden fall. Constant blows to the head can in fact cause in children bleeding, bruises up to the fracture of the skull. To protect the head, the devices normally used are helmets, which are not suitable for being worn over long periods of time. In addition, the aesthetics and shape of orthopaedic or cycling helmets is rarely thought of and appreciated by children aged 2-12 years. With Oobly we wanted to increase the comfort of use, and aesthetics, without compromising the safety and effectiveness of a protection system.

Photo credit: Teri Brennan



PROCESS





Thinking about protection, initially we created a list with all the materials we would have liked to experiment. In a second stage we have selected the most suitable materials for an exploration and / or innovation. The candidates were natural rubber, elastic, nylon, inflatable fabrics, silicone and non-newtonian fluids. After initial tests we saw the opportunity of using different material proprieties for different purposes. We then looked for the perfect composition that allowed us to have a good flexibility and a strong resistance to impacts.




TESTS & DEVELOPMENT





After the right fluid material was made, we had to incapsulate it to give it the shape of a hat. Working with 2 fashion designers, we heat sealed PVC pockets to create a shape. We then work at the style of the helmet, keeping in mind the user. After several models on paper we obtain a form that was convincing enough and that did't look like abnormal.

To test the goodness of our idea we got in touch with Professor MAZDAK GHAJARI, specialized in biomechanics of traumatic brain injurys. The feedbacks were positive and we understood how the structure of the helmets should have been and how to measure and calculate the impacts. We were also offered the possibility of a test in the laboratories of TLR but the times were not favorable. We then ran tests with pressure sensors on a manikin and detected the data with and without Oobly. The result was a reduction in impact from 10 to 20%.



Milan Design Week 2018 showcase





The project was showcased during the Milan Design Week 2018 in Ventura Lambrate, among other RCA projects.



20 materials tested





Different compositions were tested to achieve the hardness necessaire to absorb an impact.





Filippo Tomasi © 2020