BBC Future Nature's Tricks  Woodpecker inspires cardboard bike
helmet  About the author     • Head case     Industrial designer
Anirudha Surabhi created the Kranium bike helmet following a
cycling accident that left him with concussion. (Copyright:
Anirudha Surabhi)   • Impact zone     Surabhi was then studying
at the Royal College of Art in London and was looking for an end
of year thesis project. (Copyright: Anirudha Surabhi)   • Bird
and beak     He turned to the anatomy of a woodpecker for
inspiration, as the bird has various adaptations that protect it
from repeated blows. (Copyright: SPL)   • Cushion the blows
In particular, he wanted to recreate the bird’s spongy
cartilage, which acts as a shock absorber between the skull and
the beak. (Copyright: Anirudha Surabhi)   • Paper weight
Surabhi recreated this layer out of various materials, before
eventually settling on a corrugated cardboard – which is both
strong and lightweight. (Copyright: Anirudha Surabhi)   • Hat
collapse     If the person wea