Leave your helmet on your bike securely with this prototype contraption

During the pandemic, one of the things that became a “trend” and has actually continued to this day is that more people are biking their way to and from their place of work. We’re seeing a lot of products catering to this market segment and there’s still a lot of room to grow as we look towards more sustainable ways of commuting. Safety is also a major concern for those riding bicycles and motorcycles so we see people carrying helmets around but it’s not always the most convenient thing.

Designer: Eliès Hamzaoui

To solve the problem of carrying around a bulky helmet, an engineer created a prototype for something called an OBH or an On Board Helmet system. The idea is to leave the helmet with your bike so you don’t have to carry it around but also without fear of it getting stolen. It is made up of the helmet itself called the Unicity and a Jorj unit which is bolted to your bike frame. The unit also has a built-in anti-theft alarm, hence the secure part.

The locking and unlocking of the helmet is actually made through an app. You don’t have a physical key so the unit needs to have Bluetooth and battery power, adding to the bulk. It is technically more secure but also a bit inconvenient for times when your smartphone may not be working. The alarm itself is activated only with prolonged movements and not the mere jostle of the bike so you don’t have to worry about accidental alarms.

While it may be more convenient to leave the helmet on your bike, it can also add to the bulk of it since this contraption seems a bit heavy because of the features mentioned. There’s always room for improvement though so hopefully we can get a better prototype for this eventually. The initial target market for this are the bikeshare companies but it can eventually appeal to the general bike-using public, provided the design is improved.

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Innovative Self-Inflating Bicycle Helmet Redefines Safety While Staying Ultra-Compact

If in this era of pollution, pandemic, and panic, you aren’t already a bicycle person, it’s high time you convert into one! Bicycles are slowly becoming people’s preferred means of transportation. People are ditching the fossil fuel consuming and air pollution causing automobiles for the more eco-friendly option of bikes. Not only are bicycles a boon to the environment, but they also promote good health and ensure we get our daily dose of physical exercise done. In fact, you can even upgrade and amp up your bicycle with some fun and functional accessories. And, an excellent bicycle accessory that prioritizes safety and functionality that you should definitely get your hands on is the Bumpair 2.0.

Designer: Bumpair

A couple of years ago French company Bumpair designed a super cool inflatable helmet. Bumpair went on to team up with a scooter share company in France, and together they offered the helmet with a rather innovative feature – the minute you unlock one of their scooters, you need to simply hit a button on the app, and the helmet automatically inflates! This was the first version of the helmet, and now Bumpair has unveiled the 2.0 version! Bumpair 2.0 is a portable bicycle helmet that is supposed to provide “up to 4x more [protection] than a classic helmet”.  When you want to use the helmet, you simply inflate it with a hand pump, deflate it once you’re done using it, and keep it away for storage.

Compared to the first version, Bumpair 2.0 is supposed to be much more comfortable! The surface and shape of the helmet are better controlled, so you don’t feel any discomfort or pressure on your head once you wear the helmet. The straps have been better adjusted, providing you with an all-encompassing, comforting, and reassuring feel.

The bicycle helmet has a pressure indicator integrated into its design, which serves as a simple, reliable, and easy-to-use system, that can you access by simply pressing a button, and checking the correct pressure of the helmet before you begin cycling. The Bumpair 2.0 is priced at USD $287, and will be available for sale shortly!

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Futuristic-looking helmets double up as innovative fluorescent floor lamps

Rick Owens presented a collection of super cool-looking helmets at his Autumn Winter 2022 menswear show called ‘Strobe’, which was shown at the Palais de Tokyo during Paris Fashion Week. The three helmets are unique and feature single and dual-prong strobe lights protruding from their shell and double up as interesting floor lamps!

Designer: Rick Owens

American designer Rick Owens designed two helmets for the show, and they both feature a different light bar fixture, that has been inserted into and protrudes from the crown of the outer shell. Built from aluminum and fiberglass, the helmets are equipped with a rounded head with a shell that can be extended, providing coverage to the upper parts of the wearer’s chest and back. The helmets have a crown shape, as Owens drew inspiration from the forms he saw in Egyptian temples and tombs while spending time in Egypt. “Helmets have Dan Flavin-esque fluorescent bulbs set into crown shapes that I kept seeing in the Egyptian temples and tombs I toured last October,” said Owens.

The helmet’s extended shell which covers the wearer’s chest and shoulders in three parts, allows it to double up as a freestanding floor lamp. The extended shell functions as the legs of the lamp. The first lamp is called Amun, and it is available in the color black. It features a two-pronged lighting fixture, that has been placed within a trapezoidal frame. The second helmet is called Hedjet and is available in both black and white. It has been equipped with a single light bar fixture that protrudes out of the shell.

Owens’ helmets are pretty intriguing – both visually and functionally, as they signify an interesting and innovative crossover between apparel and lighting. His design is not only a fashionable wearable, but also a super functional fixture that you could actually use to light up your living space. When used as a lighting fixture, the helmets have a sculptural feel to them, allowing them to function as artistic and well-designed pieces for your living space. And when used as helmets, they have the ability to make an impressive and loud fashion statement.

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Safety never looked sexier with these AI-generated superhero motorbike helmets

Sure, not every single one of them is practical, but I’d personally sell my kidney for the Bumblebee-themed helmet below.

I can’t help but reinforce my point that Midjourney and other similar AI art-generators are incredible ideation tools. In a matter of mere seconds, they spit up inspirational images that can sometimes directly and oftentimes indirectly be taken as design inputs. Not everything the AI bots make is ‘usable’ in an industrial design sense, but it does a pretty good job of boiling down the concept-generation phase from weeks to mere minutes, whether you’re creating concept images for an imaginary Tesla Cyberbike, or Marvel-themed Nike sneakers. These superhero-themed helmets are quite similar in nature. Designed by Instagram user Coldstar Art, these futuristic helmets take inspiration from popular cinematic legends spanning a variety of universes. Not all of them are great to wear, but every single one of them is stunning to look at!

Designer: Coldstar Art

The first two helmets exist in Hasbro’s Transformer-verse, with a Bumblebee helmet above, and a Megatron one below. The former helmet distinctly borrows from the friendly black-and-yellow robot’s head design, albeit with a larger visor, while the latter has all the features of a Decepticon, The segmented helmet design is reminiscent of Megatron’s face, which features multiple moving parts, and a gun-metal finish just makes the helmet look brilliantly devious.

We’re now dipping our toes in the MCU, with a Punisher helmet above, and a Deadpool helmet below. The Punisher helmet looks unapologetically badass, with its skull-inspired design and a respirator on the front where you’d expect the mouth to be. Grill lines on it make it look like the Punisher logo’s teeth, while the rest of the helmet looks almost like an exoskeleton with an emphasis on skeleton! Moving forward into slightly more familiar territory, the helmet below pays homage to our favorite merc with a mouth, Deadpool. The headgear is almost instantly recognizable, with its red and black colorway, and those large expressive eye cutouts, although unlike Deadpool’s mask, which is made from fabric, this hard-hat can take impact. Deadpool-meets-Deathstroke, maybe?

Sure, these two helmets look incredibly familiar, but let’s just say that Midjourney took a bit of creative liberty with them. You’ve got a green Iron Man helmet on the top, and a purple and gold Iron Man helmet on the bottom. I’ll be honest, the green helmet just doesn’t feel right. There’s something deeply unsettling when I look at that helmet in green, although the purple+gold helmet sort of feels weirdly familiar in a Thanos-meets-Tony-Stark way. Perhaps a conceptual helmet for a Thanos-buster suit?

We near the end of this list with two Power Ranger helmets for good measure. The helmets really feel natural because the superheroes wore helmets too, but Midjourney really pulled no stops, giving each headgear flaps/horns on the top that make the helmets look more edgy. The two helmets also display one of Midjourney’s most fundamental flaws – the inability to maintain basic symmetry with its art generation. The notch on top of the visor on the blue helmet seems discernibly off-center, and it seems like the purple helmet doesn’t even have a matching set of horns on its left side.

Our final helmet is perhaps the most easily recognizable yet, following the Marvel helmets. Meet the Predator helmet – it looks rustic with its stony finish, rasta-futuristic with its dreadlocks, and is the kind of helmet you wouldn’t want to see in your rearview mirror… definitely not if you identify as an alien!

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This minimalist and environmentally-friendly helmet is made from waste scallop shells

Helmets are an essential in a variety of situations and professions – if you’re riding a bike, or working in construction. You see them quite commonly worn almost everywhere, but have you ever seen a ‘Shellmet’? Me neither. Well, designed by TBWAHakuhodo’s creative team and Osaka-based Koushi Chemical Industry Co, the Shellmet is a helmet created from waste scallop shells!

Designer: TBWAHakuhodo’s creative team and Koushi Chemical Industry Co

A tiny village located at the tip of Japan’s northernmost island Hokkaido manages to create an annual pile of 40,000 tons of discarded scallop shells all thanks to its seafood industry. In an attempt to tackle this issue, they decided to clean, pulverize and mix the discarded shells with recycled plastic, to create a new material – Shellstic.

A portmanteau of shells and plastic, Shellstic is an environmentally-friendly material that can be utilized just the way normal plastic is! This is a great solution to the immense amount of shell waste since shells can cause soil contamination if left on the ground, which is a legitimate cause of concern for the village and its residents. Not only does transforming shells into plastic reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but it also makes the final material stronger and more resilient. And Shellmet is the first product to be created using the innovative material Shellstic! “We aimed to create a sustainable product with minimal burden on the environment,” said Shintaro Monden, the designer of the product.

The hardhat helmet borrows the ribbed structure of scallop shells, which in turn adds 30 percent more strength to the helmet, as compared to regular helmets with their typical flat design. Besides being minimal and sturdy, Shellmet comes in a variety of five fun colors – Coral White, Sand Cream, Ocean Blue, Deep Black, and Sunset Pink (all inspired by the sea). The helmet will be available for sale to the public in March 2023. The designers also hope that they can convince the 250 fishermen in the village to ditch their regular plastic helmets, and adopt Shellmet instead! They also intend to encourage Shellmet to be utilized for emergencies such as earthquakes and dangerous weather.

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This AR helmet for kids hones creativity by scribbling and drawing in 3D space without any limitations

Honing the creative bend of kids in their early life is important, and their best tool is drawing. That, however, comes with a menacing aftermath for the parents who have to ensure the kids don’t etch the walls of the living room or bedroom with a permanent marker or a hard-to-wipe-off crayon.

To create a good balance between the incremental increase in kids’ creative levels over time without having a messy home, virtual and augmented reality are the best solution. That’s what this AR Helmet concept is all about.

Designer: Designer Dot

With Metaverse applications gaining traction all this while, a product like this one is imminent. It lets children go wild with their scribbling skills without parents having to worry about messed-up walls, tables, or anything else the little ones perceive as the perfect canvas. The combination of the AR helmet having a smart wiser screen to display the augmented interface and the pen controller to let the imagination loose makes this concept highly feasible. Moreover, the unique element of the gadget will appeal to children as well who are becoming tech-savvy by the day.

Both the helmet and the pen controller are lightweight for obvious reasons. The AR elements on the helmet wiser screen guide the kids to draw meaningful shapes by inducing learning. The easy-to-use UI comes with interesting tools to increase productive engagement. Things such as in-built example drawings and the ability to sketch with friends or play educational AR games. The pen controller with one button control is equally easy to use.

The ergonomic comfort of the helmet is paramount so it comes with vents on the front and back to keep active airflow while used for long hours. The chin strap is magnetic for easy clasp action and easily adjustable depending on the head size. AR helmet is charged via a USB cable, and the pen controller attaches to the right side of the helmet for recharging.

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This origami-style fashionable helmet folds flat like paper to be stored conveniently in the backpack

Another day, another folding helmet!

Foldable helmets have grown into a trend we’re constantly following – as helmets become necessary for bikers and electric kickboarders in almost all countries across the globe – yet nothing really tends to stick to the mind as a definite solution. As a biker, you would have seen this helmet that collapses in two halves to save space or this one that folds to a 50 percent smaller size than the original volume.

Now there is another entrant coming in from a South Korean company called Nature Mobility, which intends to disrupt a biker’s daily life. From how it appears, the Raba helmet is meant to fold flat, like a sheet of paper, to be placed in the handbag. Making life exceptionally convenient for daily commuters who struggle with their helmets after locking up their bikes at the stand. With the stylish Raba, you’ll not have to think. The decision is made the moment you put it on: when you take it off, simply fold the hive structured helmet flat and pop it conveniently into your backpack.

Designer: Nature Mobility

As transportable as it can get, the easy-to-store Raba helmet is also as comfortable and substantially protective. The helmet inspired by the honeycomb structure features individual components supporting each other to fold down flat without a twitch. Nature Mobility introduced the foldable helmet on the crowdfunding platform Wadiz but it was the recognition at the Red Design Awards that propelled Raba’s international fanfare as a complete foldable helmet that gives both the wearing type and the folding type helmets stiff competition.

The 410g helmet uses PC/ABS material construction on the exterior and nice foam cushioning on the inside, which makes it comfortable and really protective. The exterior is impact and heat resistant and it has the same safety certification as traditional bicycle helmets. Durability is a concern with foldable helmets, the makers seem to have perfected the design for long shelf like: according to Nature Mobility, it has gone through 59 different prototypes over three years before arriving at the perfect design. This reflects in Raba’s ability to unfold within seconds to reduce its volume by 35 percent of its original stout self.

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POC Myelin Helmet protects the head with 50% recycled materials, to be easily deconstructed

MYELIN Helmet Design

Cycling is fun and easy exercise, and if you regularly ride your bicycle, you will see health benefits such as increased cardiovascular fitness, an energy boost, and decreased body fat levels. And what’s great about cycling is you only need a bike and a few accessories to start. Even though you don’t need much equipment to enjoy cycling, you shouldn’t skimp on protective gears like a helmet. There are many helmets in the market, but this one from POC protects your head while protecting the environment.

Designer: Claes Nellestam (POC)

Design MYELIN Helmet

Suppose you are considering cycling, whether as a commuter, road cyclist, or mountain biker, you have to ensure bike safety because your life can be at risk with all the possible accidents. Like in most sports, you can prevent these unfortunate events if you follow the fundamental tips like finding the right bicycle size, double-checking brakes, and using headlights. And one of the most important tips to follow: Wear a helmet. A helmet is essential as it effectively protects and reduces the impact of a collision or a fall.

POC believes “the best way to develop a passion is to protect it.” This principle drives the company to offer personalized protection and safety through quality sports products like its latest helmet, the Myelin. This helmet is “highly advanced yet cuts out complexity” to minimize the impact on the planet’s resources.

POC MYELIN Helmet

Unlike other helmets in the market, including those from the brand, Myelin is the first helmet made of 50% recycled materials. This means it is a more sustainable option for people who care about the planet. The company aims to be more environment-friendly, so it’s looking for ways to allow safety and sustainability to co-exist in the products. The Myelin is a product of POC’s move to place on itself “an obligation to use our planet’s resources respectfully,” as per POC Senior Designer Claes Nellestram.

MYELIN Helmet Demo

Aside from the recycled materials used on the outer woven fabric shell, Myelin’s sustainability also comes from its “deconstructable” design. It comes with an interlocking structure with simple fasteners tying the helmet together. The straps’ snap adjuster and elastic sections offer a secure fit to the user, similar to how baseball caps work. The design also means no need for laminators or adhesives, allowing the parts to be easily separated at the end of the helmet’s life. The easier a product can be deconstructed, the easier it is to reuse and recycle the components.

MYELIN Helmet Function

The POC Myelin Helmet can also be a good option if you want a comfortable, lightweight helmet that can prevent overheating, thanks to the EPS liner and ventilated zones. It gives optimized protection even if built with only a few pieces and doesn’t use glue for its construction. Designed for recyclability for the eco-conscious cyclist, this helmet is a significant step forward for POC in helmet design. However, it’s only the beginning as the company continues to challenge the conventional way helmets are made, the materials used, and how they can be deconstructed.

MYELIN Helmet Design

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Incredibly clever biking helmet occupies just 50% of its original volume when folded

On a high after winning a Red Dot Award in 2018, the folks at FEND are back with a redesign of their popular foldable bike helmet. Designed to make the helmet more flat, less bulky, and subsequently much more portable, the FEND SUPER comes with the same compact design as its predecessor… except now it comes with removable headlights and taillights to make riding at night much more convenient.

Designer: Christian Von Heifner

Click Here to Buy Now: $79 $129 (38% off). Hurry, only 13/300 left!

Folds Down By 50% – Easily store comfortably in any bag or backpack.

The FEND SUPER is fundamentally a helmet that’s designed to be much more portable than your average bike helmet. When open, it’s a safe, certified helmet that fits nearly all head sizes, but fold its side flaps down and suddenly the FEND SUPER occupies just 50% of its original shape. Now in a slimmer, flatter avatar, the FEND SUPER can easily be kept inside bags, backpacks, and lockers, making it convenient to carry when you aren’t wearing it.

Designed to meet US CPSC and European EN1078 safety standards for bicycles, skateboards, and e-bikes/scooters under 20mph, the FEND SUPER is built with a durable ABS shell, high impact absorbing EPS core, and a slick matte finish. Available in 3 sizes, the helmet weighs anywhere between 390 grams and 445 grams (0.85 to 0.98 lbs) depending on the size, and comes with as many as 12 vents to keep your head feeling light and breezy while riding.

What sets the FEND SUPER apart, however, are the detachable headlight and taillight that dramatically amplify your riding experience. The headlight helps illuminate the road ahead of you, while the taillight ensures you’re visible to people around you in the dark. Designed as slim LED modules that plug right into the FEND SUPER, the headlight and taillight modules can either be carried around with the helmet or separately (to be plugged in when needed). They’re designed with a slight arc shape that gives them 360° visibility, have a 30-lumen brightness that’s visible from as far as 800 meters on a clear night, ​and run for 20 hours on a full charge. The lights weigh a paltry 24 grams, are IPX6 waterproof (perfect for rains), and can be recharged via your standard USB-C phone or laptop charger.

Removable Lights – Ride with or without them based on your needs.

Designed for Bikes, Scooters & Skateboards

The FEND SUPER solves the two biggest problems with bicycling – the unwillingness for people to carry helmets because they’re bulky, and the risk of accidents caused by decreased visibility while riding in low-light conditions. With its lightweight and light-based design, the FEND SUPER helps riders stay safe, with a much more compact, portable product footprint. The FEND SUPER comes in 4 colors – charcoal, cloud, mint, and coral, and starts at a discounted $79 for the helmet along with the lights.

Click Here to Buy Now: $79 $129 (38% off). Hurry, only 13/300 left!

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AI-enhanced super workers could be a reality with this AR headband that can be fastened to industrial helmets

Frontline workers in hazardous industrial environments are often overworked due to shortage of labor and are exposed to perilous situations, which can lead to errors and increase the proportion of man-made hazards. Since state-of-the-art technology is changing the face of other industries; it is only fitting to integrate augmented reality into the helmet – the most important accessory – of frontline workers at oil & gas plants, power, aviation, railway, and many such industries to solve these problems.

Enter X-Craft – the first augmented reality device to achieve an explosion-proof protection rating. Designed by Rokid, the X-Craft is created in order to bring a technological transformation in the industry and produce a generation of “super workers.” Basically, this is an industrial explosion-proof AR headband that can fit around safety helmets and hard hats to armor frontline workers with technology that can facilitate in inspections, remote collaborations, trainings, and day-to-day operations.

Designer: Rokid

The headband in addition to AI and AR integration is also embedded with a 5G module to ensure brisk processing and real-time information storage and transmission. The headband is further equipped with a 40° field of view (FoV) display – right in front of the eye – and has a movable camera positioned just above. A secondary camera flip to switch is placed further up – around the forehead (when the headband is worn). The display employs waveguide optical technology to ensure it has a see-through aesthetic with high contrast and light transmission of up to 80 percent.

For the ones who work in more high-risk environments, the headband – featuring a user-friendly control knob on the temple – can be further attached with other peripherals and accessories such as industrial endoscope, infrared sensors, etc to enhance its capabilities and be more assistive to workers. Even with all the tech embedded and the possibility of additional attachments, the headband remains comfortable to wear. Its weight is evenly distributed and the headband’s detachable buckle ensures it can be wrapped around a large variety of helmets and hard hats.

Born to assist super workers in the highest-risk environments, the X-Craft is made to beat the elements. The IP66 water and dustproof rated headband can easily process large amounts of information and data over the cloud and facilitate real-time remote collaboration between teams. To ensure what is seen and transmitted is without a glitch, the X-Craft features three AI-enabled noise reduction mics that pick accurate sounds in the nosiest industrial environments.

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