ITALIAN motorcycle helmet maker Airoh has joined forces with automotive safety firm Autoliv to develop an innovative, airbag-equipped motorbike crash helmet.
Airbags on bike’s are still a fairly new feature, although considering both the Honda, with the Gold Wing Airbag variant, and Piaggio’s own airbag-equipped MP3, they are becoming more prevalent. Could body even or head-mounted airbags be the next area companies push into to raise the safety stakes?
Airoh and Autoliv airbag-equipped motorcycle helmet
The system looks to be still in the early stages of design and development, although it made a public appearance at EICMA last week, as early prototypes were shown to the public.
The premise behind the product seems to be much the same as any other automotive airbag. Software housed within the lid, detects a crash scenario, deploying a kind of inflatable vale around the crown of the rider’s head. All of the systems required to function are situated within a conventional helmet design, and unlike some other, tech-laden lids we’ve seen – it actually doesn’t look that bad!
If used, Autoliv is claiming it can reduce the risk of skull fractures by around 50 percent, and the system is claimed to not detract from or reduce the effectiveness of the helmet compared to a conventional full-face item.
Evidently, the new product is in the very early stages of development, although given Airoh’s experience when it comes to delivering top-notch full-faced lids, a working product we can see, and touch might not be that far off. The Italian firm has, after all, graced the bonces of stars in MotoGP, WorldSBK and the BSB.
