Vic Bath and his colleague Dan Cummings at Zulu Alpha Kilo, an advertising agency in Canada, have partnered with Pfaff Harley Davidson to create a protective material for turbans that Sikh riders can use instead of helmets.
“My father always dreamed of owning a Harley — it was his ultimate idea of freedom,” says Vic Bath, who is from a Sikh background. “Years later, when he finally got one I was able to see how much it meant to him. That got me thinking — it surely meant as much to other members of the community in Canada and abroad.”
While certain provinces of Canada have made helmet exceptions for members of the Sikh community, the bike-riding dreams of many are put on hold as they can’t fit helmets over their turbans.
Inspired by Sikh warriors of old who set out for battle wearing chain-mail under their turbans, the team sought to replicate similar head gear. Roping in Spark Innovations, a product design firm, they began to research various impact-resistant material. They finalised on a composite of bullet-proof fabric, non-Newtonian foam and 3D-printed chain-mail. Non-Newtonian substances do not follow Newton’s Law of Viscosity; the foam used for the turban hardens on impact.
The result was a material which was tough and tensile, possessing the dexterity of fabric: the Tough Turban. It can be wound in any way to suit the personal style of the wearer.
Keeping in mind the interest of the riding community worldwide, the team from Zulu felt it best to open source the prototype of the Tough Turban and release it online. “We have received a lot of interest in the product from India and Thailand,” says Mr Bath.
Currently, the Tough Turban is a proof of concept/prototype that is pending approval for use on the road and the team at Zulu are working with manufacturing partners towards this next step.
Design and download details are available at ToughTurban.com.
