A foldable bike helmet designed by Isis Shiffer (M.I.D. ’16) during her time at Pratt was named the International Winner of the James Dyson Award 2016, which is given by the James Dyson Foundation to recognize exceptional inventions by university students and graduates. The news has received widespread global media coverage in outlets that include CBS News, The Guardian, PC Mag, DNAInfo, and Yahoo Finance.
Shiffer’s design, the EcoHelmet, is part of “The Erro Collection,” three items she designed to facilitate urban commuting: the helmet, a pocket scooter that folds to the size of a laptop, and a modular system for ventilating commuter bags. The environmentally friendly helmet, which Shiffer researched and developed during her time at Pratt, is made of a honeycomb paper that conforms to most head sizes and requires no assembly. The helmet is recyclable and is designed to be purchased from a vending machine at a bike share station. As international winner of the James Dyson Award, Shiffer will receive $45,000 to further develop her invention.
Shiffer presented “The Erro Collection” at the Global Grad Show at the 2016 Dubai Design Week in October. She also earned a Student Runner Up Transportation Award in the 2016 Core77 Design Awards, a global competition that recognizes excellence across all areas of design.
Watch a video filmed at Pratt in which Shiffer and Adjunct Associate Professor of Industrial Design Scott Lundberg speak about the EcoHelmet. Learn more about the James Dyson Award and the EcoHelmet.
Image: EcoHelmet from “the Erro Collection” by Isis Shiffer (M.I.D. ’16)