Jake
December 24th, 2004, 10:57 PM
A "smart" helmet has been invented that tells the wearer how fast they are traveling, what gear the motorcycle is in and whether turn signal indicators are on. The new device, inspired by the Heads-Up Display technology used by fighter pilots, flashes information onto a small digital screen inside the helmet.
Piers Tucker, a 24-year-old industrial designer from Leeds, England, who invented the helmet in an effort to promote road safety, claims that the screen - which is within the rider's peripheral vision - will allow motorcyclists to monitor their speed without taking their eyes off the road.
"I designed this helmet to save lives," he said. "When you are riding a motorcycle at a fast speed, it is difficult to concentrate on the displays on the dashboard and the roads at the same time.?
The helmet calculates the rider's precise speed by utilizing satellite global positioning data (GPS), while information about the indicators and gears is sent to the helmet by radio transmitters.
Tucker, who is not a motorcyclist himself, claims that if the helmet proves popular with riders, dashboard dials could disappear from motorcycles altogether. "It takes about 0.25 seconds to look down, focus on a speedometer and refocus on the road again. This doesn't sound like much but it can make the difference between life and death."
Ian Mutch, of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG-UK), which campaigns on safety issues and is a member group of the International Coalition of Motorcyclists (ICOM), said that it would be cheaper and safer if motorcyclists simply rode at slower speeds. "Bikers who want avoid accidents should take greater care, but an illuminated screen could be a distraction in itself," he said.
Piers Tucker, a 24-year-old industrial designer from Leeds, England, who invented the helmet in an effort to promote road safety, claims that the screen - which is within the rider's peripheral vision - will allow motorcyclists to monitor their speed without taking their eyes off the road.
"I designed this helmet to save lives," he said. "When you are riding a motorcycle at a fast speed, it is difficult to concentrate on the displays on the dashboard and the roads at the same time.?
The helmet calculates the rider's precise speed by utilizing satellite global positioning data (GPS), while information about the indicators and gears is sent to the helmet by radio transmitters.
Tucker, who is not a motorcyclist himself, claims that if the helmet proves popular with riders, dashboard dials could disappear from motorcycles altogether. "It takes about 0.25 seconds to look down, focus on a speedometer and refocus on the road again. This doesn't sound like much but it can make the difference between life and death."
Ian Mutch, of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG-UK), which campaigns on safety issues and is a member group of the International Coalition of Motorcyclists (ICOM), said that it would be cheaper and safer if motorcyclists simply rode at slower speeds. "Bikers who want avoid accidents should take greater care, but an illuminated screen could be a distraction in itself," he said.