Engineers began to work on group protection, armoring trains, ships, and other vehicles. Helmet is a covering of metal or other sturdy material designed to protect the head. Most helmets have soft liners so they may be worn comfortably. Many people wear helmets, including firefighters, police, motorcyclists, and construction workers. Athletes in certain sports wear helmets.
Astronauts wear special helmets for space travel.
In tropical climates, pith helmets or cork helmets provide protection from the sun. Helmets once were worn only in war. The first helmets, worn by Ethiopian soldiers, were the skulls of horses, complete with mane and ears. Knights in the Middle Ages wore helmets of chain mail or plated steel. They were dome-shaped so that sword blows glanced off the surface.