"Conehead" helmet liner
 

This invention won in this episode, the panelists going so far as to say this was worthy of being implemented as standard in all helmets.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2006698.htm

from the "Inspiration" section:

The invention has already been submitted and passed double-impact tests in Europe.

I thought I'd break my "most threads with no reply" record by replying to this one myself. "Cone Head" has gone on to be the winner in the Grand Final for this season on The New Inventors, the prize of which is lots of financial and expertise help in getting the invention onto the global market.

http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/media/s2104773.htm

I'm rather puzzled by this invention. Do helmets with this type of liner pass the recognised standard tests for energy absorption maximum brain deceleration etc? If so how are they different from a standard helmet liner? All this design does is create a much softer liner. It could be that the current standards are wrong and helmets are too stiff, but in that case any number of energy absorbing liners can be made to have equivalent characteristics without the unnecessary complexity of the cones which incidentally make the shear load connection between your head and helmet shell very dubious. One thing is certain, any helmet, even a bad one, is better than none!

They apparently provide superior protection for the more vulnerable parts of the skull, and are customised based on age since the skulls of children vary greatly from adults. The tests have shown a 20% improvement on current standards compliant liners. I guess the only way to be sure in real life circumstances would be to wait for actual crashes in them.

The idea of the cones is they are the higher density embedded in lower density and smooth the transition from one to the other on impact instead of just having two distinct layers of density.

But I don't want to be a ConeHead...

SEGsby

Just a brief update to mention helmets that include this invention are now available. Here's an impact comparison video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqP5CkWM7fU

Apparently it'll also be in helmets of US police on motorbikes. A real success story from concept to product :)