Cyclo Protects Bicycle Riders Against Pollution

You might be an environmentalist who takes pride into using a bicycle for daily business, but what about your protection? You still have to breathe the polluted air that surrounds you, right? Wrong. If Manuela Strano's project (from the University of Technology Sydney) makes it to the production line, you will be able to enjoy a cleaner ride with your bike.

Its name is Cyclo and its main "helmety" role is to protect you from injuries. However, the Cyclo also takes care of your lungs when cycling, since it incorporates a highly porous Aerogel filter system.

It is designed for the urban cyclist to provide protection from inhaling harmful gases and particles found in urban pollution while offering enhanced airflow and safety protection.

According to the project's description, there are 4 entry and exit points for the flow of air when riding. These are all covered by filters to allow only clean air to enter the helmet. The placement of the filters ensures a steady flow of air so that there is little breathing resistance. A centrally placed one-way exhalation valve releases heat, water vapor and carbon dioxide.

Silica Aerogel has been used as the core filter material. Aerogel is an emerging material for use in filtration. Its exceptionally high porosity, up to 99% empty space, allows for extremely low breathing resistance, high airflow and excellent chemical adsorption and sub-micron filtration. Pure Silica Aerogel is a brittle material, therefore impregnating it with polypropylene fibers allows the Aerogel to have textile-like properties making it more user friendly. The filters have the ability to last approximately 70 hours of use.

The filters are held in place by two-shot molded santoprene/polypropylene filter holders which pop in and out of the visor to allow for easy changing of the filters. The santoprene provides an air-tight seal between the components and the visor, which can be rotated above the head to allow for drinking and talking.

The Cyclo is manufactured in three sizes to allow for optimal head protection as well as face sealing so that no unfiltered air can enter the helmet.

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