Tag: helmet

Video: Discover the meaning of bike control with this crazy rotary-mounted helmet cam

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, Motorcycle

Motorcycle Fairy View - video screencap of gymkhana run using helmet-mounted camera

This is the unnamed winner of the third round of the 2013 Dunlop Autoby Cup Motorcycle Gymkhana, and the video of their run is mind-boggling for two different reasons. First, the motorcycle control on display here is extremely impressive, with excellent precision throughout.

Secondly, the videography is great. The rider attached a counterbalanced rotary video rig to the top of his helmet, allowing a free-spinning, constantly changing point of view, that the title of the video calls “Fairy View.” We call it “Trippy View.” Either way, it looks outstanding, and is a far cry from the dime-a-dozen GoPro videos that can be found all over the internet. Now, if we could just figure out how to adapt one of these for a car. Take a look at the full video below, and just try to keep your head on straight.

Continue reading Discover the meaning of bike control with this crazy rotary-mounted helmet cam

Discover the meaning of bike control with this crazy rotary-mounted helmet cam originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Aug 2013 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reevu motorcycle helmet is first to feature head-up display

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Motorcycle

Reevu Intelligent Helmet

Reevu, that company that makes those nifty helmets with the built-in rear viewers has another innovation for those of the two-wheeled persuasion. Expanding on the idea of a rear viewer, Reevu seems to have integrated a display into the top of the visor.

The system projects information, according to the images, ranging from turn-by-turn directions to speed to lap times. We’ll admit, the information provided is quite thin. The helmet manufacturer apparently uses something called a multiple reflective optical system to display the information, claiming it won’t strain the eyes or cause distraction for the driver.

Limited info aside, the potential of an in-helmet head-up display is huge for people on two and four wheels. The same concepts that make this appealing for bikers would make it a must-have for any serious track enthusiast. Drivers could get everything from lap times and sector splits to emergency warnings if oil pressure were to drop. You can bet we’ll follow this one closely. Scroll down below for the press release.

Continue reading Reevu motorcycle helmet is first to feature head-up display

Reevu motorcycle helmet is first to feature head-up display originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jul 2013 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: LiveMap develops augmented reality motorcycle helmet

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Russia

LiveMap Helmet

While mobile navigation for cars has evolved into a staple, in-cabin feature, motorcyclists have been stuck with paper maps and aftermarket solutions for years. A new Russian company is out to change that with a helmet that boasts integrated nav. LiveMap uses a microphone, light sensor, ear phone and micro display to convey pertinent travel information in full color that the rider can control using voice commands. The system works just like the heads up display found in modern fighter jets.

The system projects directions in the center of the rider’s visor rather than in the upper right hand corner as with Google Glass. The team behind the development says this actually safer since the light sensor keeps the directions transparent no matter what the time of day. It also allows the rider to stay focused on what’s ahead of the bike. An integrated gyroscope and digital compass keeps the projection oriented correctly even as the user tilts his head or leans the bike. Very cool.

The LiveMap helmet is supposed to offer up to a day’s worth of use thanks to a pair of lithium-ion batteries, though a USB charge plug can provide extra juice when necessary. Right now, LiveMap is sourcing funding through Indiegogo. The company is looking to raise $150,000 to create a working prototype. After that, production models could cost around $2,000. That’s steep, but hopefully the cost could come down over additional generations. Check out the introductory video below for more information.

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LiveMap develops augmented reality motorcycle helmet originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Folding motorcycle helmet nominated for Dyson Award

Filed under: Etc., Motorcycle, Design/Style

Proteus folding motorcycle helmet

Jessica Dunn’s Proteus folding helmet – Click above for high-res image gallery

Twenty-five-year-old Australian Jessica Dunn spent five months riding a motorcycle in Indonesia as a foreign exchange student, and that meant hauling a helmet around all that time. Weary of that grind after just 150 days, Dunn developed the Proteus folding helmet and it is now shortlisted for the James Dyson Award.

An outer layer of polycarbonate covers polystyrene foam, and the innermost layer is a material that’s pliable during normal use but instantly hardens when it registers an impact. The helmet itself collapses in a manner reminiscent of a hardtop convertibles, the visor slides back on top while the sides and back fold into the helmet’s interior cavity. The Proteus helmet has been engineered to meet Australian safety standards, and when folded fits into a standard backpack. Have a look at the gallery of high-res images for a better view, and if you think that’s funky, you should check out Julien Bergignat’s Tatou helmet.

Folding motorcycle helmet nominated for Dyson Award originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 May 2011 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: NHTSA updating motorcycle helmet laws

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Motorcycle

novelty helmet

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has updated the motorcycle helmet law in an attempt to stop people from wearing improperly certified helmets and novelty helmets. The law doesn’t change the construction of helmets directly, but changes the way they’re labeled, to make it more difficult to mimic DOT compliance certifications.

Now, helmets that conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218 will carry a sticker with the manufacturer’s name, the helmet model and the words “DOT FMVSS No. 218 Certified.” The move to make helmets safer comes after the number of riders sporting unsafe and novelty brain buckets increased dramatically in 2010 over 2009.

According to NHTSA statistics, in 2010, only 54 percent of motorcyclists wore a DOT-approved lid. Around 14 percent wore a novelty helmet, and 32 percent went without a helmet altogether. In 2009, those numbers were 67 percent, 9 percent and 24 percent. In 2010, 75 percent of riders who did elect to wear a helmet wore a DOT-compliant one. In 2009, that number was 86 percent.

NHTSA updating motorcycle helmet laws originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 May 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL asks Toyota to edit helmet-to-helmet hit out of ad [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Videos, Toyota

Helmet-to-helmet hit

Toyota’s helmet-to-helmet hit – Click above to watch the video after the break

Anyone who’s managed to catch an NFL game or two this year is surely aware that the league is cracking down (with stiff fines and penalties) on the kinds of violent helmet-to-helmet hits that are likely to cause concussions to either the hitter of the hittee. And for good reason – the NFL and a number of independent organizations have found that such head injuries can be far more damaging over the long-term than once thought.

What does any of this have to do with automobiles? Glad you asked. Research into new helmet designs and technologies is currently underway, and, somewhat interestingly, Toyota has been able to provide data to some universities that’s valuable for both automotive safety research and for sports-related head injuries using its T.H.U.M.S. (Total HUman Model for Safety) injury-simulation software.

Sounds pretty good so far, no? Indeed, Toyota was so pleased with its contributions to safety that it highlighted them in an advertisement that aired during the Sunday slate of NFL games. Sadly, there was one wee little problem… the commercial showed one particularly violent helmet-to-helmet hit – the exact same kind of injury-causing instance the NFL is doing its best to distance itself from.

Not surprisingly, the NFL asked Toyota to do a little creative editing on the commercial. In other words, take out the offending hit or we’ll get our network partners to stop showing your advertisement. In the end, Reuters (via Yahoo) reports that Toyota begrudgingly obliged and altered its commercial appropriately. Score one for safety?

Check out the extended cut of the advertisement after the break.

[Source: Reuters via Yahoo]

Continue reading NFL asks Toyota to edit helmet-to-helmet hit out of ad [w/video]

NFL asks Toyota to edit helmet-to-helmet hit out of ad [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-Top Gear employee cashing in on Stig-gate, selling autographed helmet

Filed under: Auctions, Etc., UK, Celebrities

The StigThe Stig drama continues from the land of Top Gear. Former employee Sophia Vaizey was a production coordinator on the popular television show for 18 months. When she left, she was presented with a helmet worn by the Stig from 2002 to 2005, signed by Richard Hammond, members of the production crew and The Stig, himself.

Now that the frenzy surrounding Top Gear‘s former wheelman has reached a fever pitch, Mrs. Vaizey is looking to cash in on her parting gift. Her family points out to her, perhaps quite wisely, that the helmet will likely be worth far less in 10 years than it is right now. Thus, she is bringing the iconic white brain bucket to market – Stig’s helmet is heading to Gorringes Auctioneers on October 20th.

We wouldn’t be surprised if Jeremy Clarkson had some choice words for Sophia Vaizey. He recently laid into the Stig for following the money and Mrs. Vaizey appears to be going the same route. The helmet may have been a gift, but it’s her gift and she has every right to make some money off of it. However, if that helmet were placed on our shelf, it would stay there…

…Unless the offer was really high.

[Source: Telegraph.co.uk]

Ex-Top Gear employee cashing in on Stig-gate, selling autographed helmet originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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