Ribcap.
Shear Thickening Fluids (STFs) may be "liquid" in a strict sense - but they're used in fabrics. Developed by Professor Norman Wagner and his research team, including students, of the University of Delaware, as a joint project between the University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials and the United States Army Research Lab. They're amazing - and are already in use. (Professor Wagner seems a bit shy, but very proud of his students. The website for his research group is filled with photos of his colleagues, graduate students and undergraduates - but what should be his personal page on the University of Delaware site is a dead link). STFs are added to Kevlar, making ballistic armor more effective;
D30 Labs has been making STF's available to the civilian market. The Swiss Company RibCap has been making what look like normal knit caps - soft until subjected to a sudden force - at which time they behave like crash helmets:
At the moment not, apparently, available in the United States - but they're available via some Canadian and British stores .Ribcap's Swiss site here; their Canadian affiliate, DirtSurfer, also has a list of U.S. retailers.
We'd like to know more - and see test data - but if effective, these soft hats should be in every go-bag - and worn by every emergency responder who's not already wearing protective headgear.
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