Dilatant Decelerate System

Description

A team of six from the University of Kansas was responsible for redesigning a safety component in US Air Force helmets. Using SolidWorks and MSC Patran/Nastran, research was done to redesign the retrofit plate on the back of the helmet that doesn't restrict the pilot's lateral head movement.

About

Dilatant LLC, a privately held company located out of Kansas City, Missouri, aimed to provide a new level of pilot head safety and protection by incorporating Dilatant's rate attenuating Decelerate Straps into aviation helmets to help reduce violent head and body motion which may occur during acceleration, impact, or ejection, reducing potential trauma to the head.
With a team of six, we were given an opportunity to help research and redesign the plate on the back of US Air Force helmets to reduce whiplash and augment safety and function.