Smart helmets can protect against injury, track locations, monitor for impact, and more. We wrote about a football helmet that monitors impact severity that could result in traumatic brain injury and a connected motorcycle helmet light that detects falls and automatically sends an alert to a preconfigured list of contacts.
FiTech Sports Technology, better known as 318, recently launched the SH50 Smart Cycling Helmet for cycling enthusiasts. The SH50 consists of three integrated components: FiTech’s 318 Helmet, the Professional C1 model Mobile Athletic Retention System (MARS), and the 318 Sports App. The SH50’s smarts originate with the MARS C1, which fits inside the helmet.
The MARS insert includes a bone conductive speaker for calls and audio, a walkie talkie function, a smart rear light, and a wireless remote control that clips onto a bicycle handlebar. Individual cyclists and teams can link their SH50’s via the 318 Sports App for team management and the walkie talkie function. The app is also a professional-level cyclist riding platform that tracks distance, speed, time, and altitude with real-time in-helmet data broadcasts and voice navigation guidance. Individual team members can choose whether their location and performance information is shared on the app and social media sites. If a rider has an accident such as a fall or crash, an accelerometer in the MARS unit automatically sends an alert with the incident location to all team members. The app also sends a help message to a pre-configured contact.
The SH50 is an evolved special purpose modular smart helmet. The modular helmet concept has an intriguing potential for other application niches in sports and recreation, industry, professional applications, home health monitoring, and more. We’ll watch the smart helmet space for future developments.
