Energy absorbing device

An energy absorbing device comprising a first half hexagonal shaped piece of material and a second half hexagonal shaped piece of material joined together as a hexagonal shaped deformable elongate member, the hexagonal shaped deformable elongate member having a plurality of enhanced strength regions and having a plurality of untreated portions such that the device, in use, deforms in a stable, repeatable manner upon the absorption of impact energy associated with an impact;

• wherein the enhanced strength regions and the untreated portions of the deformable elongated member are integral with each of the first half and the second half hexagonal shaped pieces of material and arranged in an alternating manner, wherein the enhanced strength regions are surface-treated regions of each of the first half and the second half hexagonal shaped pieces of material, and wherein the untreated portions are non-treated regions of each of the first half and the second half hexagonal shaped pieces of material,
• wherein the enhanced strength regions have a nanocrystalline microstructure based on having been treated with a surface manipulation technique, where the surface manipulation technique is Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT),
• wherein the enhanced strength regions have a uniform width and thickness that is the same as a uniform width and thickness of the untreated portions of the deformable elongated member,
• wherein the enhanced strength regions have a first uniform height that is different from a second uniform height of the untreated portions of the deformable elongated member, and
• wherein the energy absorbing device has a sloped end, the sloped end having a sloped surface with an angle relative to a flat plane vertical to the energy absorbing device.