POC, a Swedish company that works to develop protective gear for outdoor sports, is introducing a new technology for ski helmets called SPIN that helps to counter the effects of head-on collisions at an angle or “oblique impacts.”
Oblique impacts are common but are also known to cause potentially serious head injuries when the helmet or head rotates upon impact. To take precautions against this, POC’s new helmet uses SPIN pads that provide rotational impact protection based on the location inside the helmet and which can shear in any direction in order to allow the helmet to move relative to the head, CEO Jonas Sjögren said in a statement.
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The new helmets also have lights that enhance safety on mountains and make skiers more visible during particularly snowy conditions.
“I am very proud that we are presenting several new and exciting innovations for the 17/18 winter season,” Sjögren said in a statement. “Over the last ten years POC has developed a wealth of knowledge around helmet technology, materials and design, and SPIN, which stands for ‘Shearing Pad INside’, is our brand new patent pending rotational impact protection system.”