Paper Pulp Helmet by Tom Gottelier, Bobby Petersen and Ed Thomas
A group of Royal College of Art graduates has used the pulp from mulched newspapers to form helmets for London's cycle hire scheme (+ movie).
Tom Gottelier, Bobby Petersen and Ed Thomas took discarded free newspapers strewn around the city's public transport system and used them to make papier-mache.
The pulp was mixed with adhesive and pigment then vacuum-formed into shape, before being heated to dry it out.
Straps slot into grooves that criss-cross the top of the helmet, clipping together under the chin like the standard design.
The surface inside the helmet is also bevelled so air can flow through and keep the head cool.
Each helmet would cost around £1 and could be sold in a vending machine or nearby shops, offering low-cost safety equipment for London's Barclays "Boris Bike" cycle sharing scheme.
Other Royal College of Art graduates presented a kit allowing musicians to control sound and lighting at their gigs and wooden shoes based on furniture and engineering at the school's show, which continues until 30 June.
New York City recently launched its own bicycle sharing scheme, with 6000 bikes available across Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn.
We've also featured an inflatable helmet that fold away into a collar or scarf and a bollard with a foot rest and handle to help cyclists keep their balance at traffic lights.
See more design for cycling »
See more projects by Royal College of Art students »