WE'VE already seen that BMW is introducing an automatic system to call emergency services on some of its bikes next year but now a Thai innovation is hoping to achieve similar results from a newly-designed helmet.
In some ways the ‘Helpmet’ seems a brighter idea than the self-reporting BMW. While the bike will automatically report accidents beyond a certain severity regardless of rider injuries, the Helpmet concept is to automatically call medics only if it’s subjected to impacts hard enough to result in unconsciousness.
It basically incorporates the guts of a basic smartphone, including a SIM card, GPS and of course a connection to the phone network as well as impact sensors and a rechargeable battery. The system is only set off after impacts of 95g or higher, so accidental knocks or even a bit of light crashing shouldn’t have ambulances appearing at your door. But they will come looking if you’re lying unconscious in a ditch and they’ll have the precise coordinates to find you.
Another clever element is that users of the system will be registered to a website where they can input various personal details, so not only will the Helpmet call emergency services, it will also be able to provide information about the rider’s name and address. It can also warn of allergies or pre-existing medical issues. That sort of information could be the difference between life and death for an unconscious rider.
Ok, so it looks a bit like something from the 1980s, but it’s still in the development stages at the moment and there’s plenty of time to improve the visuals.
As the Dragons would say, we're in.
