#HTE

This Army Head-Measuring Device from 1973

This crazy-looking contraption is how the U.S. Army researchers measured head sizes for helmets, circa 1973:

All of these images are from the archives of the Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection (Natick, Massachusetts is where a prominent Army R&D division is based). Sadly, there’s no further information provided about the contraption.

The Army might’ve done better by modifying the conformer and formillion used by traditional hatters:

Check it out in action here.