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A magnetic helmet shrunk a deadly tumor in world-first test
Scientists have created a helmet that uses magnetic therapy to reduce deadly brain tumors.
Bird offers scooter credits when you take 'helmet selfies'
Scooter sharing companies have tried numerous ways of promoting helmet use, but Bird is trying a particularly direct method -- good, old-fashioned rewards. The service has introduced a "Helmet Selfie" feature that offers perks in return for snapping a photo of yourself wearing a helmet at the end of your trip. Computer vision automatically detects the helmet to keep riders honest. The full range of rewards isn't available, but ride credits are part of them. You may get to ride more often simply by protecting your cranium, then.
This 3D printed football helmet liner promises better protection
Football equipment company Riddell and 3D printing and manufacturing firm Carbon announced today that they are teaming up to improve head protection for football players. The pair will produce custom-fitted, 3D printed helmet liners that will aim to absorb contact and provide more protection for football players at all levels.
Jarvish's smart motorbike helmets hit Kickstarter with deep discounts
Jarvish announced two new smart motorcycle helmets earlier this year -- the Jarvish X and Jarvish X-AR, which offer a plethora of helpful riding features, such as voice activation and support for Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa, a 2k front-facing camera, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, a retractable heads up display in the more expensive model, a lightweight carbon fiber design and hours of battery life. These are, arguably, the smartest helmets on the market. Now, bikers can finally put their money down to get in line to own one themselves -- and for a big discount on regular retail prices.
Jarvish’s carbon fiber smart helmets put Alexa on your head
The history of smart motorcycle helmets is a mixed bag, from clip-on heads-up displays to the Skully debacle that ended with a great piece of hardware being cratered by financially irresponsible founders. But technology moves on, and next year a new smart helmet from Jarvish will be vying for the heads of nerdy motorcyclists.
Lumos bike helmet adds Apple Watch gestures to control turn signals
It's been almost three years since we first came across the Lumos smart cycling helmet, which got our attention with its cunning automatic brake lights and wirelessly-controlled turn signal indicators. The helmet has since been shipping as of late 2016, but the Hong Kong startup didn't stop there. Today -- which happens to be the first day of Bike Month -- Lumos is releasing an update that adds gesture control for the helmet's blinkers via Apple Watch, along with Apple HealthKit integration for automatic cycling tracking.
Cosmo's bike helmet light will alert others when you fall
Cycling can be dangerous, especially if you ride at night or in busy metropolitan areas. To help, a startup called Cosmo Connected is working on a smart light that clips onto the back of your helmet. Eight LEDs -- four red, four yellow -- are positioned in an oval shape. By default, they're set to an "always-on" position so that you're clearly visible in the dark. An accelerometer inside will know when you're braking, however, and warn fellow cyclists, drivers and pedestrians with a more intense light.
Skully plans to ship its Fenix AR motorcycle helmet by summer
It's been a rollercoaster year for Skully. After failing to deliver on its IndieGoGo crowdfunding promises, the company appeared all but dead in August 2016 when LeEco passed on acquiring the firm. However, Skully has since found new owners, resumed development of its AI-guided, AR-enabled Fenix motorcycle helmet and announced plans to begin shipping by this summer.
A new company is trying to revive the Skully AR helmet
Last year, Skully, the startup that crowdfunded its AR motorcycle helmet, shut down following many delays, mounting financial woes and an attempted sale to LeEco that didn't go through. But TechCrunch got its hands on an email that was sent to those still registered to the Skully email list and it says the original company's technology might not be lost forever.
You'll look like 'Robocop' with this smart cycling helmet
Bike helmets should be about safety first and foremost, but that doesn't mean you can't rock one that's also stylish. Livall's BH51, introduced at IFA 2017, is exactly that. This cycling helmet is designed to protect your head whilst offering a sleek commuter design, enhanced by a strip of bright red LEDs on the back that you can light up every time you break or turn -- they are controlled through a remote on the handlebar. Aside from that, the BH51 can pair with your phone via Bluetooth, making it possible to take calls or listen to music directly from the helmet. With the stereo speakers, you can get your audio fix and be able to pay attention to the outside world simultaneously.f
Smart body armor could gauge brain damage from explosions
Explosions are insidious. Even if a blast doesn't deliver a conspicuous injury, it can inflict brain trauma that might not be evident until much later. The US Navy's Office of Naval Research doesn't want medics to wait, though. It's developing Blast Load Assessment Sense and Test (conveniently, BLAST), a sensor system that could determine whether or not an explosion's shockwave is likely to have injured your brain. Tiny sensors in your helmet and body armor would record the blast pressure and share it with a scanner. When combined with a palm-sized neurological assessment tool (which stimulates your fingers to gauge your responses), the data would let medical teams quickly decide whether or not you're able to fight.
Skully ends its dreams of making augmented reality helmets
If you thought that Skully's plan to crowdfund an augmented reality motorcycle helmet was overly ambitious... unfortunately, you were right. After years of delays and several weeks of grave financial trouble, the startup has informed backers that it's shutting down. Simply put, the company had run out of cash -- it had been scrambling to raise some temporary funding, but that fell through. TechCrunch sources claim that Skully had even been trying to sell itself to Chinese tech giant LeEco. However, it reportedly alienated investors following number of disputes over a possible sale, manufacturing hiccups and executive spending.
BMW's motorcycle helmet is the connected future on two wheels
In addition to bringing its highly connected concept car to CES, BMW also showed off a HUD helmet that syncs with its ConnectedRide platform delivering a plethora of information right into the face of riders. While it's extremely unlikely it'll ever become available for cycles from other manufacturers, owners of two-wheeled BMWs might want to take notice.
360Fly's new camera captures 4K video
360Fly unveiled at CES this week a new 360 degree camera that captures 2880 x 2880 4K video -- quadruple the resolution of its predecessor -- at 30FPS while generating immersive, VR-capable content. What's more, the new unit boasts a host of fresh capture modes and now tracks telemetry data as well. These capture modes include 2560 x 1440 resolution forward facing, time lapse; and motion-, acceleration- and audio-triggered recording. Additionally, the 4K 360Fly incorporates a GPS sensor, barometer/altimeter and accelerometer. It can even output 360 degree video in real time with the addition of an optional Micro-HDMI accessory base.
ICYMI: Helmet with OnStar, NASA's 3D-printed engine and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-596786{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-596786, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-596786{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-596786").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A helmet cam for motorcyclists has an emergency alert system that kicks in when a crash is detected. NASA 3D-printed parts for an engine that has withstand 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit. And the White House wants people to share in the spirit with a new virtual reality tour of the annual Christmas display.
Color-changing helmets could warn you about head injuries
Head injuries can be particularly sinister -- unless it's obvious that you took a bad blow, you might not get the help you need in time to mitigate the damage. University of Pennsylvania scientists may have an easy way to raise the red flag when you're hurt, however. They've crafted a polymer that changes color depending on the amount of force, giving anyone around you a sign that you've suffered some trauma. The key was to use holographic lithography to create photonic crystals whose structures change color when they deform. They don't require any power to work, and they're light enough that you could apply them to a helmet without noticing a significant weight difference.
Lumos helmet keeps cyclists safe with automatic brake lights
For cyclists, the road can be a nasty place to be at night, so we're all for technologies that can help draw drivers' attention in order to reduce the number of accidents. The latest of such attempt is the Lumos helmet, which not only comes with turn signal indicators that can be controlled wirelessly, but also packs a brake light that comes on automatically as you slow down. This seemingly simple idea came from Eu-wen Ding (who looks like an Asian clone of Miles Teller) and Jeff Chen. The two first bonded at the HackMIT 2013 weekend hackathon and have since been working on this project with a helmet manufacturer for 10 months.
Capcom is making a light-up 'Mega Man' helmet
Want to up the ante on your costume for the next big comic convention? Capcom will soon have you covered. The game developer has teased plans for an official, wearable Mega Man helmet that lights up. It won't grant you cybernetic powers, but it definitely looks the part -- combine it with Think Geek's Buster Gun and you'll look like you're ready to take on Dr. Wily. While Capcom hasn't even mentioned a pre-order date, let alone a release date, it could be worth holding out if you're determined to trump other would-be Blue Bombers.
Skully debuts AR helmet app while navigating delays
Skully CEO Marcus Weller stood in front of an crowd of customers that shelled out $1,500 to be one of the first recipients of the company's helmet with a heads up display and rear-facing camera to answer their questions. A few weeks ago Weller sent those backers a video message explaining that their helmets would be delayed until the fall. Now he was about to talk to those people face to face to address their concerns and show off the helmet's companion app for the first time. It's a talk he's prepared to give in multiple cities around the world.
'Halo' die-hards will get their very own motorcycle helmet in July
Who says motorcycle helmets have to be functional, not fashionable? Renowned toy-maker NECA is getting into the headgear game with a street-legal design based on Halo's main man, Master Chief. The helmet features front air intakes to prevent fogging and rear exhaust vents to keep your head cool and comfy while driving your Warthog into walls. Plus there's a reflective shield with UV protection and removable top and cheek pads. And don't worry, you'll be able to fit your Coke-bottle specs under there.
