CrossHelmet X1 - the smart 360-view HUD helmet receives What3Words integration
Motorcycle helmet of the future? With 360º visibility, sound control & smart connectivity, the CrossHelmet X1 now has What3Words integration for pinpoint navigation.
Initially conceptualised in 2012 by motorcycle designer Arato Oono, the CrossHelmet X1 (Cross 1) is a glimpse into the future of what helmet technology could be. Reporting that ‘Helmet technology has been stagnant for decades’, the lid started life on Kickstarter and received over 3 times the amount of backing requested to hit the market.
Key features include a camera to show your rearview on the integrated bi-focal display in the visor, reportedly bringing 360º vision to the rider alongside active sound management, Bluetooth connectivity, and smartphone integration.
Now, the latest step in tech-aided-riding is the What3Words integration, accessed through tapping the ‘control panel’ on the side of the helm and speaking the unique 3-word combination.
If you haven’t heard about What3Words before, first of all, I’d respectfully ask you what rock you’ve been living under for the last few years, and also ‘welcome to the future of navigation’.
What3Words navigation direct in your motorcycle helmet
W3W splits the entire world into 57 trillion 3x3 metre squares, giving you the ability to pinpoint the location of trail entries, meet-up points and exact locations for emergency situations.
So if you fancy arranging a meetup with your mates for an evening jaunt, you could search for ‘///tuxedos.described.records’ and be given a pinpoint meeting area to head for. Integrating that navigation into your lid directly is intuitive to say the least.
Pretty handy stuff, and for those who like to embrace technology with open arms it could quite possibly be one of the best investments you could make - but it’s certainly an investment. $1,799 for a base level lid, with a 10-14 week shipping time.
As a quick note, the sound control feature seems really intriguing - like active noise cancellation in your lid, which you can adjust on the fly in the app. Could negate the need for earplugs on short trips? Some may say tech like this is the way forward.
For others, it’s yet another battery to charge for a ride, and screens in the visor could distract. But we’re all adults here (sort of) and we can all make our own decisions.
Looks like an interesting design nevertheless, and it appears there’s plenty more to come from the team at CrossHelmet, check their website for the more info on the premium lid. We've asked them what the availability is like in the UK.
