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Motorcycle helmets are about to get a whole lot smarter
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(Image credit: Shoei)
- Shoei launches the world’s first helmet with a visor-mounted HUD
- French firm EyeLights helped refine the technology
- Integrated visor Head-Up Displays joins Bluetooth audio set-up
Japanese helmet manufacturer Shoei has lifted the lid (excuse the pun) on its most recent motorcycle tech innovation, which sees an Augmented Reality Head-Up Display mounted to one of its GT-Air 3 helmets.
The technology, which was created by French company EyeLights, projects important information directly into the rider’s line of sight, with the company claiming it can improve reaction times by more than 32% by eliminating the need to glance down at an infotainment display.
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As modern motorcycles are becoming increasingly tech-heavy, manufacturers have started to fit out machines with interactive touchscreens and digital displays that, while offering a plethora of information, can often be difficult to both see and interact with when on the road.
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Shoei and EyeLights technology hopes to improve on this by beaming data, such as current speed, turn-by-turn directions and any incoming calls to an area in the top right of the helmet’s visor.
This technology has been seamlessly built into a top-quality helmet, with EyeLights claiming the nano-OLED display, the rechargeable battery pack, the microphone, Bluetooth headphones and wiring has been pre-installed into the GT-Air 3, rather than proving a bulky and sometimes tricky-to-install add-on.
As with other Bluetooth comms units, the device featured in the helmet works both online and in mesh mode, where a series of intercoms are connected so riders can stay in touch during a road trip. It also works with Siri and Google voice assistants for operating smartphone functionality.
The app, which we assume runs in the background of a smartphone placed neatly in a pocket or mounted to the bike’s handlebars, then delivers navigational instructions, accurate GPS speed data and information on incoming calls and messages.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Plus, because this is Shoei, the helmet meets internationally-recognized safety standards including both DOT and ECE 22.06.
Passive safety gets active
A number of helmet companies have revealed concepts or near-production ready lids that go beyond simply protecting the head in the unfortunate case of an accident.
GoPro teased that it is working with Italian helmet-maker AGV to produce head protection that features its renowned action camera tech.
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Cardo, a manufacturer of intercom systems, also unveiled its own helmet last month that features the required microphones and headphones neatly integrated into a slick, carbon fibre helmet.
It also packs active noise cancellation, meaning riders theoretically wouldn’t need to wear earplugs to drown out the din of an engine or traffic, plus a rear brake light and the ability to detect any damage to the outer shell with built-in sensors.
On top of this, Intelligent Cranium Helmets released a product that, like Shoei’s lid, also includes a HUD, but goes one step further by incorporating two cameras at the rear that deliver a crisp image of what’s happening behind the rider, reducing the need to look in mirrors or check over the shoulder.
There’s also a front-mounted camera that acts like a dash cam in a car and can record 1080p video for posterity or proof in the case of an incident.
It appears motorcycle helmets are rapidly getting smarter and increasingly feature advances, such as AI, OLEDs and cameras to increase safety. But the downside is that the price is also on the rise.
The Shoei GT Air-3 Smart costs $1,199 in the US, or €1,199 in Europe (around £1,055 / AU$1,860), which makes it more than twice the price of one of the brand's leading analogue lids.
This is a particularly tough pill to swallow when you consider many manufacturers suggest refreshing a helmet every five years to ensure it performs as it should.
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Leon PoultneyEVs correspondentLeon has been navigating a world where automotive and tech collide for almost 20 years, reporting on everything from in-car entertainment to robotised manufacturing plants. Currently, EVs are the focus of his attentions, but give it a few years and it will be electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Outside of work hours, he can be found tinkering with distinctly analogue motorcycles, because electric motors are no replacement for an old Honda inline four.
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