Since bicycles cannot provide much protection in case of accidents, riders are advised to wear helmets when cycling. For activities like mountain biking and cycling races, wearing helmets is a must for cyclists. Metal helmets are worn while racing or going on cycle adventures. However such helmets have proved to be dangerous if is made lightweight or if the impact of fall is really high. There are chances of having brain damage.
Hence after years of experiment, a company in Sweden has developed an innovative helmet, which they call “invisible bicycle helmet”. The helmet is an airbag which has advanced sensors fitted to it. The device senses the movement patterns of the cyclist. In case of an accident, the bag reacts by inflating and covering the head of the cyclist, thus it absorbs the shock of hitting the ground.
The airbag is designed like a hood made of ultra strong nylon fabric that will not tear off when vigorously scraped against the ground. Leaving the face open, the airbag covers almost the whole head. The inflated airbag covers a much larger area than a traditional cycle helmet and has been designed keeping mind the present day accident safety standards. The air pressure in the bag remains constant for several seconds before slowly deflating, therefore being able to resist multiple head impacts during the same mishap.
The gas inflator which fills the bag with air is kept in a holder in the collar of the cyclist rear area. The device can also distinguish between cycling and accidents. It will not react to situations like an object falling straight onto a cyclist’s head or the cyclist bends down to pick up something. But if a cyclist is hit by a car from behind or if the cycle skids down the road or trips on something anyhow, then the airbag will come on to shield the head from any impact.
The helmet is placed around the neck and the zip is pulled up under the chin. The zip has to be completely closed for the collar to function properly. An on/off button is provided to the right side of the collar on the zip tag. When the zip is attached, the device is switched on and similarly, it is switched off when the tag is opened from the button.
In front of the collar, there are LED lights to indicate battery level and whether the device is on or off. The collar is made of waterproof fabric which provides good protection for the inbuilt system. It is ergonomically designed to evenly distribute weight across the shoulders. The fabric shell around the collar is easy to remove for washing, cleaning, and replacement with another. We just wonder when this helmet will be available for sale here.
