swedish company cellutech prototypes helmet completely made from wood

sustainable materials research company cellutech developed a prototype helmet made entirely of wood. the project was part of ekoportal 2035, a vision of a biobased future, created by skogsindustrierna. they teamed up with designers ramsus malbert from design studio materialist, and jesper jonsson to construct an helmet using different types of cellulose materials. the outer shell of is made of wood veneer and the strap from durable paper. the inside cushioning is made of ‘cellufoam’ – a unique material made of nanocellulose produced from wood pulp with is both renewable and biodegradable. the properties of the material are suitable for use in lightweight construction, packaging materials and absorbent products. 

the outside is made of wood veneer

the bicycle helmet is the first example of how ‘cellufoam’ can be used. work is now in progress to more applications that are suitable. ‘the opportunity to work together with cellutech has been incredibly interesting as it involved a creative journey for both me and the company,’ explains designer rasmus malbert. ‘I feel that together we developed the material cellufoam forward and I’m proud to show our result to the rest of the world. I think there is an incredibly strong potential in this material, we are just at the beginning of an exciting trend where more and more petroleum-based materials are replaced with renewable alternatives.’

inside the team used cushioning called ‘cellufoam’

even the strap is made of durable paper
 
the designer’s table during prototyping 

protective the absorbent material is made from nanocellulose — a form of wood pulp