The Airbag bike helmet provides better head protection for cyclists

While bicycle helmets do offer excellent protection, it is still feasible to suffer a head injury while wearing one. This reality drove two Swedish firms to create a prototype helmet with an airbag. The helmet was created by a collaboration between automobile safety systems maker Autoliv and protective apparel firm POC. Although little technical information has been disclosed, we do know that the gadget includes sensors that identify falling movement patterns, an electronic control unit that inflates the airbag automatically, and the actual airbag itself.

The third component is a fabric-bodied channel that stays hidden beneath the helmet's detachable outer panels when not in use, but inflates and grows when an accident happens. They reach a pressure of 60 Kilopascals (8.7 psi), which covers the sides and top of the head.

The idea behind the technology is that the airbag will act as the initial energy absorber, with the helmet's underlying foam liner acting as a secondary energy absorber. This function is claimed to not impact the helmet's design, weight, or comfort - so in other words, it's just like wearing a regular helmet on every ride.

In a pre-study, the helmet was put on a crash test dummy's head and then dropped from up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft) onto flat or angled surfaces - this represented various types of impact with the road or other surfaces. The tests revealed that using an energy-damping motorbike helmet reduced the wearer's chance of moderate to fatal brain injuries by 80 percent in a 20 km/h (12 mph) collision.

A POC representative informs us that the next stage of research is about to begin, and we hope it will result in a commercial product in the future. In the meantime, prospective buyers might want to look at Hövding's airbag collar, which grows into a helmet when a fall is detected, as well as its EVOC cycling backpack and Cirrus cycling jacket with airbags.

Source: newatlas.com