Add something that makes a huge difference

Finite Finite Element model (LSDYNA) of the human head showing the maximum principal strain in the sagittal plane (Kleiven et al. 2003). Software: LSDYNA by courtesy of ERAB, Sweden.

Accident statistics show that the most common accidents involve an oblique impact to the head. However, in official helmet tests, the helmet is dropped vertically onto the impact surface, resulting in a radial force. This has resulted in helmets with good protective properties in vertical impacts while the protection is not optimised for oblique impacts.

MIPS MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) has been developed for reality and gives substantially increased protection against oblique impacts. This results in a product with high protective properties for all types of impact, without changing the design, manufacturing costs or the weight dramati¬cally. MIPS is easy to implement in most types of sports helmet. It adds both a competitive advantage and a consumer benefit that can prove vital for your company. And your customers.

Imitating the brain's own protection system.

The MIPS technology mimics one of the safety systems already existing in the human head. When the head is subjected to an impact, the brain slides along a membrane on the inner surface of the skull, which reduces the forces transmitted to the brain. This feature was copied and technically resolved to create the MIPS technology which, in experimental and numerical tests, has shown a dramatic reduction of the forces to the brain.

Protection in all helmet categories.        

In a helmet with MIPS technology the shell (A) and the liner (C) are separated by a low-friction layer (B). When a helmet with MIPS technology is subjected to an oblique impact, the low-friction layer allows the shell to rotate relative to the liner. In fixing the shell with the liner, MIPS AB has also developed solutions that include a release mechanism. The release mechanism will make the helmet feel robust in normal handling but will release when a certain load is exceeded. During the development MIPS, special attention has been put into ensuring that the technology doesn't interfere with other properties of helmets, such as weight, design and comfort. Weight will be increased by less than 5%, while comfort and design will not change at all with the MIPS technology. MIPS AB possesses know-how on how to manufacture the low-friction layer and the release mechanism. The MIPS technology is patented worldwide.