Bicycle and other sports helmets are designed to fit European heads, making them uncomfortable for many Chinese. Now a could help to provide a better fit.
鈥淭he back of the Chinese head is a bit flatter, and from the top they are rounder,鈥� said Johan Molenbroek from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, who advised on a project called SizeChina. This deters some Chinese people from wearing helmets for cycling or snowboarding, he says.
Roger Ball of the Asian Ergonomics Lab at Hong Kong Polytechnic University scanned more than 2000 adults from six Chinese cities and constructed models of the five most common head shapes. He hopes manufacturers will use them to tailor helmet designs, glasses and headphones.
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