Folding, recyclable bike helmet wins prize

A folding, recyclable bicycle helmet that is also rain resistant and designed for bike-share users has won a top invention prize.

A folding, recyclable, rain-resistant bicycle helmet has been named the 2016 international winner of the James Dyson Award.

The EcoHelmet is made from recycled paper that is woven into a honeycomb structure that protests the wearer's head from impact from any direction. It is also covered in a biodegradable coating that makes it water resistant for up to three hours.

It beat a wearable asthma management system and smart contact lenses that can measure glucose levels to the award.

The invention prize, which is open to university level students or recent graduates worth GBP30,000 ($A49,908) to the winner, has been awarded to inventor Isis Shiffer, a graduate of the Pratt Institute of Design in New York, who said the helmet was aimed at bike share users.

James Dyson, inventor and founder of the Dyson company said of this year's winner: "EcoHelmet solves an obvious problem in an incredibly elegant way.

"But its simplicity belies an impressive amount of research and development. I look forward to seeing EcoHelmets used in bike shares across the world."