Finally! A Bike Helmet That Won't Crimp Your Style
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Think that the current bike helmets are not up to snuff? Do they crimp your style or mess up your hair? Now, you have an alternative - An airbag helmet that is both safe and in vogue.
The Hovding, which means chieftain in Swedish, is the brainchild of Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, who came up with the design in 2005, while working on a University thesis project. The concept received two prizes, which has enabled them to turn their dream into a company that employs twelve people
Unlike traditional helmets that stay static over the riders' face, the Hovding sits stylishly around the neck like a bulky scarf, which comes in many colors. Tucked inside, is an airbag and enough helium to inflate it when needed. Also fitted inside is a sensor unit, complete with a gyroscope and accelerometer, which constantly monitor the movements of the rider. If any danger is detected, the airbag deploys in an instant 0.1 seconds, protecting the rider from serious head injuries. The helmet which can be charged through a USB, can also be switched off not needed, by simply zipping the collar around the user's neck.
While the helmet sounds quite cool in theory, deploying an airbag in the car is very different from deploying one on a cyclist. That's because the drivers can not only fall in many different directions, but also, do things that may not be dangerous but could result in a false warning, triggering the helmet to inflate. To ensure this does not happen, the two young inventors have carried out extensive tests on not only dummies, but also, stunt men and women.
Ready to buy one? You'll have to wait a little, since the Hovdings helmets will not hit the stores until next spring. However, this is probably good since it will give you enough time to save up for its hefty price tag of $470USD!
Sources: wired.com, guardian.co.uk
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185 Comments
x_goddess_xover 3 yearsThat's nice!
gold3nglareover 3 yearsseems too big. I don't like to draw attention to myself.
bday_summergirlover 3 yearsAwesome! I want one of those helmets!
alphawolf13over 3 yearsCan't you still break your neck, depending on how you land? It's cool, but still.
jazmine2008over 3 yearsthat sounds so cool!
dream_beyondover 3 yearsOoo! I need one of those! (Although it looks weird) I ride my bike to school almost everyday and it sometimes gets annoying when my hair gets messed up😁
nightcolony442over 3 yearsI totally get it😊👌
xenoalmost 4 yearsLooks funny- hahaalmost 7 yearsvery funny
- Ryan Wardover 7 yearsthe pros are it is there for when ever you fall and the cons are that it cost a lot of money and i don`t think it works that well because it looks like you could still get hurt.
- Aidenover 7 yearsThe pros are that you don't need a bulky helmet or wear a helmet altogether and it triggers when you fall or get hit, plus scarfs are stylish.The cons are that it might not trigger or inflate when you get hit and it might not inflate, plus some people don't want scarfs and it should cost less like close to $20.