Dr. Stephanie Bonin presents A comparison of headforms used in rotational impact testing of helmets at the 2025 International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury (IRCOBI) European Conference. Taking place in Vilnius, Lithuania September 10–12, 2025, this annual event brings together researchers, scientists, and experts from around the world in the field of injury biomechanics.
Dr. Bonin’s short communication, co-authored with biomechanical specialist Madelen Fahlstedt and mechanical engineer Philip Singh, examines how headforms designed for rotational impacts respond to oblique impacts during helmet testing. Unlike linear helmet tests, where a helmeted headform is dropped vertically onto an anvil to assess the helmet’s impact attenuation, rotational testing uses an angled anvil to create an oblique impact that produces both linear and rotational forces, more similar to what occurs in real-world crashes. This study is part of Dr. Bonin’s broader initiative to evaluate how helmets’ anti-rotation systems can reduce the risk of head injury. She will present her findings on Friday morning, September 12, during the Short Communication session S2-9: Sports Injury.
MEA Forensic’s Director of Research Dr. Gunter Siegmund, a member of the IRCOBI Council, also attends the conference. He is chairing two sessions at the conference: one on volunteer testing and another on vulnerable road users – cyclists.
Since 1973, IRCOBI has been conducting an annual international scientific conference in Europe to review new knowledge on human tolerance to impact as gleaned from field accident studies, experimental research and experience from current occupant protection systems and devices. It has also sponsored specialized conferences and seminars on such topics as trauma to children, two-wheel vehicle users, and pedestrian protection. The peer-reviewed proceedings of these meetings are recognized internationally as an important source of knowledge on impact biomechanics and crash injury studies.
To know more about the research work that keeps our engineers at the cutting edge of their field, see our Research page.
The IRCOBI conference proceedings are available online.
add to: