Are airbags the future of bike helmets?
Leave it to the Swedish to come up with an innovative airbag bike helmet. The patented hi-tech collar deploys and airbag in a tenth of a second (01 seconds) in an accident and is fully inflated before head impact. It's called the Hövding Airbag for cyclists and its pretty incredible, give the following video a watch and see what it can do.
THE AIRBAG SYSTEM
The airbag is designed like a hood and made in an ultra-strong nylon fabric that won't rip when scraped against the ground. Hövding protects nearly all of the head, while leaving the field of vision open.
The inflated airbag covers a much larger area than a traditional cycle helmet and is designed according to current accident statistics. The protection is greatest where it is needed most and the airbag provides extremely soft and gentle shock absorption. The pressure remains constant for several seconds, making it able to withstand multiple head impacts during the same accident. After that the airbag slowly starts to deflate.
The gas inflator that inflates the airbag is placed in a holder in the collar on the cyclist's back. Hövding's gas inflator is a so called cold gas inflator that uses helium.
SENSORS AND ALGORITHM
How Hövding tells the difference between biking and accidents:
Thousands of cycling accidents were re-enacted using stunt riders and crash-test dummies to collect the specific movement patterns of cyclists in accidents. In parallel, an equal amount of normal cycling data has been collected using test cyclists wearing Hövding in everyday cycling. Based on this collected data, we have developed an algorithm that can distinguish normal cycling from accidents.
Normal cycling means all the situations and movements that usually happen in a cycling context, including running up and down steps, bending down to pick up keys, etc.
In the highly unusual category of cycling accident where no measurable movement appears within the cyclist, i.e. if an object falls from above straight down on the cyclist's head, Hövding will not react.
ON/OFF
To put on your Hövding, place it around your neck and pull the zip up under your chin. The zip needs to be completely closed for the collar to work correctly. There is an on/off switch on the zip tag that activates Hövding when it's attached to the right-hand side of the collar. Similarly, Hövding is turned off when you unclip the on/off button.
At the front of the collar there are LEDs showing the battery level and whether Hövding is on or off. On/off is also indicated by a sound signal.
CHARGING HÖVDING
Hövding's battery is easily charged through a computer using the USB cable included, when LEDs and a sound indicate that the battery is low (after about 9 hours of cycling).
You can also charge your Hövding using an ordinary mobile phone charger with a micro USB connector.
COLLAR & SHELL
The collar is made of waterproof functional fabric that provides the best possible protection for the built-in airbag system. The collar isn't washable but is protected from wear, sweat and dirt by the surrounding fabric shell. Any marks on the collar can be rubbed off carefully with a damp cloth.
The collar is ergonomically designed with even weight distribution across the shoulders. It is slightly heavier at the back than at the front so that when cycling the weight is resting on your back.
The main purpose of the enclosing shell is to make it possible for you to change the appearance of your Hövding. The shell is easy to remove and wash, or change for a different one to match your outfit.
