Bicycles are a green and environmental friendly alternative of using cars in the big cities. Statistics show that London’s population will surge by around 2 million residents over the next two decades. To the number of residents will add many more people who will commute to the London’s center from the surrounding regions. Many Londoners already spend on transportation as much as 20 percent of their income. In order to deal with this problem was designed a free alternative, the project for the SkyCycle superhighway. The routes of SkyCycle superhighway will be used for longer rides and are not intended to replace any of London’s current bike paths. Getting more commuters on bikes will have many benefits, from less congestion and pollution to better health. Many cities are also installing more of some of the best bike stands to help encourage cyclists to use bicycles as transportation without worrying they’ll be lost or stolen.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
However, using a bike is not risk free and thousands of cycling accidents are happening every year. The good news are that a company from Sweden, Hövding, developed a new type of bicycle helmet that is not only more secure but also has a great design that people would be happy to wear. The airbag helmet from Hövding is using a sophisticated algorithm in order to automatically distinguish between normal cycling movements and bicycle accidents. That ensures that the Hövding helmet will only react to cycling accidents.
The Hövding cycling helmet is the result of the unique expertise of the Swedish company in airbag helmet technology and of an intensive research and development process. The company re-enacted and compared thousands of cycling accidents with hundreds of hours of normal cycling. The unique cycling airbag helmet was developed in collaboration with airbag manufacturer Alva Sweden and a number of globally patented solutions resulted from the development work around Hövding.
Image via http://shop.hovding.com
The “invisible bike helmet” is designed like a hood. The ultra-strong nylon fabric used in the airbag helmet ensures that you won’t rip it if you drop it to the ground. Hövding cycling helmet leaves the field of vision open while protects nearly all of the head. The cycling helmet is designed according to current accident statistics and covers a much larger area than a traditional helmet. The airbag provides soft shock absorption and the protection is greatest in the areas where it is most needed. The Hövding cycling helmet can withstand multiple head impacts during the same accident and it slowly deflates after the impact. The gas inflator of the airbag using helium and it is placed on the cyclist’s back, in a collar holder.
The Hövding cycling helmet is easy to use. All you need to do is to place it around your neck. The helmet is secured by the zip up under your chin. LEDs placed at the front of the collar show whether Hövding is on or off and the battery level. The battery can be easily charged through a USB port on your computer or a mobile phone. The fully charged battery lasts for about 18 hours of cycling.
The Hövding cycling helmet’s collar is made of waterproof fabric. The collar has an ergonomic design with the weight distributed even across the shoulders.
This “invisible bike helmet” is a great alternative to the traditional bike helmet and offers not only increased protection but also a futuristic style.
