While surfing the internet the other day I came across something so unique and unusual, that at first, I thought it was a joke.
What I stumbled across was the Hovding, an invisible bicycle helmet, and it got me thinking.
For those of you wondering what an invisible bike helmet would look like, you're not alone, as I said, I initally thought it was a joke. Basically, it's an airbag for your head.
Swedish industrial design students Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin began developing the Hovding in 2005 after a law came into place for the mandatory use of helmets for cyclists up to the age of 15, and in turn prompted debate on whether helmets should be mandatory for all ages. After seven years of extensive research and crash tests, the Hovding was born.
I remember being a kid and having a Michelangelo Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bike helmet, designed to look like a turtle shell with the orange accents that one would identify with Michelangelo (the ninja turtle, not the artist).
I thought that helmet was so cool, but then when I got older and traded up for a bigger, more traditional helmet, it just felt like I was wearing a plastic and Styrofoam turtle shell on my head, without the awesome design.
Those seem to be the common trends among bikers who shy away from wearing brain buckets while on the roads; it's uncomfortable, or it just doesn't look cool. The Hovding aims to put an end to those excuses.
The Hovding goes on like a scarf, zipped up surrounding the neck of the cyclist, and developers claim that it can determine when an accident occurs using sensors and algorithms, and causes a hood-like airbag to form around the head of the cyclist.
According to the Hovding website, the device can tell the difference between regular biking - whether on smooth roads, bumps or ice - and accidents. In the event that the sensor recognizes an accident, an airbag is deployed in a matter of milliseconds.
“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," reads the Hovding website. “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."
It's really quite impressive, although it makes me wonder about its overall effectiveness (especially since it is a new product), and if I would be left with a giant balloon surrounding my cranium after riding over a pothole.
While the Hovding retails for a whopping $558 CAD, it claims to be the future in bicycle safety, and the airbag itself can be insured through certain companies.
I'm a firm believer that all cyclists should protect their heads while riding, no matter how long the ride, no matter the terrain. While I don't bike all that often, certainly not enough to justify shelling out over $500 for one of these invisible helmets, I'm definitely curious to see what impact, if any, this new innovation will have on the world of cycling.
