The Invisible Bicycle Helmet

August 15, 2012

Two idealistic young students, Anna and Terese, created a revolutionary 21st-century design object everyone told them would be impossible as an exam project. Something nobody had done before. It's hard to believe, but...

Two idealistic young female design students Anna and Terese created a revolutionary 21st-century design object everyone told them would be impossible. They took on a giant challenge as an exam project. Something nobody had done before. It’s hard to believe, but…

Jsjquinn

Would it detect a magpie about to swoop?
- Dan Gordon
  
  You need the optional laser module for that.
- Richard
  
  Then the magpie punctures it, you fall off and and have no protection.
- http://whatspossible.com.au/ Scott Barrow
  
  Ha! Indeed.
Tim

Awesome

PS Vimeo took a long time to load.
Big Dragon

Fantastic. Great concept. Not too sure about how it will go up the Tourmalet in 35 degree heat, but at least your neck will be warm in winter.
Tysongundersen

Mind blowing
Faz

Wow. I’m truly amazed at just how far we can keep pushing technology and innovation.
jules

really, it’s more of an airbag than a helmet, but what a brilliant innovation.

unfortunately, without a hard shell to protect against penetrative objects it wouldn’t pass current helmet standards. it’s probably not a bad a compromise in countries where helmet laws are a bit hard (oh no, i said “helmet laws”, what have i done?!).
- Gus
  
  Fabric could be kevlar or something like that to prevent any penetration. Great idea.
- Anonymous
  
  I *think* that current australian standards require a helmet to pass a double impact test, which may not be possible with this. But standards and laws change based on innovation.
  - jules
    
    it might. but it also has a penetration test, which excludes some helmets with big vents. while an airbag is useful in impacts against blunt (flat) objects, not so much against sharp ones (kerbs, car doors). the AS actually requires a hard shell anyway, although it’s unclear why if a helmet can pass all the tests without one.
Jess

Woaahhh…
Dcaspira

hopefully the start of a great head protection era – with more r&d you could see this working well to boost safety in all mode of transport
Stephen Menzies

The question on everyone’s mind. How aero is it?
Bvg

Is it Pro?
- http://whatspossible.com.au/ Scott Barrow
  
  Ha!
http://twitter.com/NigelRichardson Nigel Richardson

Wow – what an amazing idea… Similar in principle to the “avalanche saver” backpack some folks wear when skiing off piste – If it senses you’re about to get swallowed by a million tons of snow it inflates in a fraction of a second the same way to keep you on top of the ensuing disaster…

Personally though (Second post of the week to mention my kids – dont hate me), I think this is a great idea but certainly not one to “revolutionalise” the market. I love the fact that one of the side effects of helmets being compulsory is that they’ve become “cool” in kid-land.

I expected to have to battle with my kids to get them to wear crash helmets, but since everyone’s doing it, my kids wouldnt dream of going out on their scooters / bikes without them…

(Just a shame my 4 yo still argues with me because his crash helmet is supposedly cooler than mine because his is bright red and has dolphins all over it)
- Guest
  
  Actually ‘avi’ airbags don’t sense, you pull a cord. But same inflation method!
Chadwick

Great concept and execution, im amazed it worked still curious about when it detects a crash coming on though and what options there are incase of a sharp opbject.
- Yycdude
  
  I understand it uses accelerometers ( similar to those in the iPhone) such that a change of attitude ( pitch, roll, yaw) within a specified time threshold ( a few mili- seconds ?) sets it off. You probably wouldn’t want to pop any wheelies while wearing one nor duck hard into any corners at a fast paced crit.
BikeventsBruce

“Cars are so yesterday. Bikes are the future.”
I can live with that.
Slhaydon

I would be concerned about it mis firing and obscuring my vision. Also, who is to say that a massive neck brace is any more attractive than a hard shell on the head?
However – its these ideas that turn into amazing new products eventually. A work in progress I would say.
Steel

Agree, it’s a work in progress. Cheap, light, ugly, failsafe. Expensive, bulky, kinda looks like a neck scarf, complex. That’s the value proposition with these two devices that can seemingly achieve the same ends. The newcomer will have to achieve some improvements if
it wants to usurp the incumbent.

However, it is great to see what is capable with the miniaturisation of computers, and advances in batteries, so yeah, good on em.

Agree with Jules in that it may be really useful in places like Europe where mandatory helmet laws have been difficult to pass.
Stuey

Love these two. Saw this a few years ago when they were pulling in funding, the ‘shell’ question was asked then but was seen as less of a necessity and more of an addition for regional laws. An issue with hard helmets is the shear forces that occur when your brain keeps moving in your skull after your head has stopped, having a larger compressible area reduces this. As Gus mentioned earlier, the penetration test could potentially be resolved with kevlar or maybe even this whacky stuff:-
? 3:27? 3:27www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5_n6bOuXkY
http://twitter.com/chiasticon battery collection

awesome idea and incredible design/innovation here. i’m curious how it detects that you’re about to hit something…

but anyway, it’s kinda more obtrusive than a helmet; it’s like wearing a life-preserver around your neck. maybe it will protect you even more than a normal helmet so it would be worth it, but i just don’t see how it’s “invisible.” (as a helmet, yes. as something you wear on your body, certainly not.)
http://twitter.com/ralasdair Alasdair

I’ve actually tried one of these on (a friend is in talks to become the German distributor). Yes, it’s a bit bulky, but you don’t feel it that much (I didn’t ride with it, but just sort of stood around for fifteen seconds going ‘oh right, cool’). I suspect further iterations will get lighter and less obtrusive…
Slhaydon

can you re package them so that you can continue your ride after a non serious fall??
timmy

I love the thought that’s gone into this. Well done to the designers and backers.
I’d like to see it worn in its inflated mode the whole time. A real head turner!
Also- would it still be possible to wear your sunglasses over the top of your strap whilst inflated?
CapoGrouppo

Just to clear things up re ‘Helmet Standards’ there is NO penetration test, helmets with large vents, like all other helmets, pass or fail based on whether they stand up to the impact tests and secondary weight on strap test. Helmets first receive impacts and then are looked at to see if they’ve stayed together. The second test puts weight on the chin strap for a measure of time to see if the helmet falls apart under the secondary load – this is supposed to replicate sliding etc after the initial impact. It is not compulsory for helmets to have a hard shell on the outside. Regardless of all this, Aussie standards would have to be completly re written to accommodate a helmet design like this. Long live the innovation though, love it!
http://byke.com.au/ Byke

“But I am wearing a helmet, Constable. It’s right here, around my neck.”
- Yonghui
  
  Yeah, I wouldn’t get one of these, just to avoid having an endless stream of people asking how I can forget my helmet on a group ride…
Wojtek Wysocki

If the helmet has a cooling/heating device, sky is the limit even for pedestrians and senior citizens.

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The Invisible Bicycle Helmet

August 15, 2012

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The Invisible Bicycle Helmet

August 15, 2012

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