Up til now, if you have the need for pure motorcycling adrenaline, but you want to look good and stay safe, you’ve had a bit of a problem. They typical motorcycle helmet is not, let’s face it, the best looking fashion accessory.
But you’re on your way to looking lovely and riding safe now due to the stylish efforts of two Swedish students. The pair have designed a and airbag for motorcyclists which stays completely hidden away in a lovely piece of neckwear and pops out in the event of an accident to protect your dome. Stored inside what is essentially a large scarf, motion sensors trigger a mechanism which inflates an enormous “hoodie” device in an instant . The “airbag” engulfs the rider’s head and neck and offers protection similar to a full-face helmet.
It’s called, and it’s sort of an unfortunate name, The Hovding. It may not be the best brand name in history, firm Hovding Sverige AB (www.hovding.com) are hoping it makes as much of a splash on the roadways as it did on the runways.
Designed to provides shock absorption in its inflated state for a few seconds the helmet slowly deflates following any impact. Terese Alstin and Anna Haupt, the ladies behind the Hovdin, say they decided to approach motorcycle safety from a new angle with their effort. The pair came up with the idea as they were working on a design thesis at Lundig University.
And this device is hardly all about style.
The collar itself holds what is basically a ‘black box’ which records data from the moments leading up the accident and throughout any the impact. The designers say that data will then be used to help them continually develop and improve their device. The pair also got help from the Swedish Stunt Group and the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.
The helmet deploys as accelerometers and gyros pick up any sudden movements and send a signal to a gas supply which inflates the airbag inside the collar.
In case you were wondering about the viability of the device, the “helmets” are entirely legal having already been cleared Swedish government safety regulations.