"Invisible Bike Helmet"

Invisible Bicycle Helmet

Bike helmets are not the most flattering thing to wear; you do not look cool wearing them as you bike, not to mention the sweaty head and the mangled hair. Two Swedish women, however, have come up with an “invisible bicycle helmet” for people who prefer vanity and safety.

Hövding is a rapidly-inflating airbag that comes out from a collar worn around your neck in case of an accident. Created by Anna Haupt and Terese Alstinat as part of their industrial design master’s thesis at Lund University, it is a result of five years of research and product development, as well as a whopping $10 million worth of funding.

The invisible bike helmet uses accelerometers and gyroscopes, both powered by rechargeable batteries, that detect the usual motions involved in a bike crash. At the onset of the accident, the motion sensors trigger a small gas inflator that fills the nylon airbag with helium. The airbag forms a hood around your head that cushions your skull upon impact.

The Hövding is now on sale at $600 each and only works once. Pretty hefty, sure, but even traditional bike helmets dent and bent on accidents, so you cannot use them again afterwards. And considering the potential hospital bills and the risk of death, the invisible bike helmet is not bad of an investment.

Source: TechCrunch