I am not sure I want hard components located inside a helmet. I was hit on my motorcycle, head on, and Superman-ed into the car that had crossed into my lane.
The helmet saved my life, quite probably. It was so effective that Buell wanted it back to study it. Other than smashing my hands and one ulna, I was just a bit battered and bruised but the helmet was a wreck. The bike was a complete loss. There were pics online, they probably still are.
Anyhow, unless you're going to end up with a heavy over-sized monstrosity, the electronics are going to take up space in the padding. I may be biased, but I'm kind of partial to that padding.
By the way, get certified helmets. Inspect your helmet for damage on a regular basis. Replace damaged parts. Replace any helmet that has been involved in an accident involving any force to the helmet.
Of all those, a certified helmet seems to be the more pressing issue. I see many people wearing novelty helmets that are just as likely to cause additional injury as they are to prevent injury.
From the sample videos I'm not sure if it's intended to be used on a bike. It seems to be popping up almost full screen windows, which looks insanely dangerous to me if on a bike. The video on their page is someone presumably using it / a concept of it, while walking.
I didn't watch the video. Like the sibling post, I can't imagine too many people meandering around with a helmet on, unless the task requires a helmet. Even those tasks don't always get people wearing a helmet.
The picture looks like a motorcycle helmet and, if it's not, that may be even worse. People will think it is a protective helmet and wear it as such. This is a problem already, as they sell novelty helmets that don't meet DOT specs.
DOT spec'ed helmets have a sticker on the back. I absolutely will not ride without one. I also insist on wearing one while snowmobiling, unless I'm just moving it into the garage or something.
I could see the helmet for regular use, but only if followed up with billowing black robes and a cloak. Nothing less will suffice for the mankind's absolute creation.
It will of course need to include climate control systems[0] for the summer, and a voice modulator[1] would be nice too.
I didn't watch the vid and only read the beginning of the page, part of their use case was that air pollution would be so bad you would need to filter what you breath so the helmet is partly environmental control.
I don't think it is going to be a big seller, but uh... good luck to them?
> Anyhow, unless you're going to end up with a heavy over-sized monstrosity, the electronics are going to take up space in the padding. I may be biased, but I'm kind of partial to that padding.
I feel like you could add lightweight electronics to the outside of the padding (and then reshape the shell to cover it elegantly rather than just a protruding box) without adding too much weight or bulk.
I'm really confused as to what the target audience is here, though. It looks like a motorcycle helmet, but the text kinda sounds like they want this to be the next stage of wearable computing, like powered-up smart glasses. I'm hard-pressed to imagine even the biggest tech nerds walking around the office wearing a full helmet.
Also the menu in the upper right implies that a full suit of armor with modular components is being planned, although all the buttons just go to the helmet page. I can't imagine what that's about.
I have only gone so far as active communication, heat, and music. I have a few ATVs, multiple snowmobiles, and a new motorcycle. I also have a bunch of guests which means I have an absurd number of helmets that I never actually expected to own.
It means I'm interested in more flexible tech. When a crash happens, and it will, I'd not like extra stuff poking into me. Smaller and more flexible components are something I sometimes look into but only the miniaturization seems to be making it to market.
I'd absolutely love something like an in-helmet GPS system, display of vehicle functions, and could even see some augmented reality in this space. It is slow coming but this helmet, in your link, looks promising. I'll do some more reading. I'd not seen that one before. Thanks!
I will have to see its ratings, reviews, and certifictions. Ever since my accident, I've been much more cautious about helmet purchases. I was only going about 45 MPH when I was hit. The car driver was passing right after a blind corner and didn't see me.
To put things in perspective, it is quite common to take a snowmobile into the village here. The grocery store has snowmobile parking. There's an extensive trail system that usually opens up for ATVs when the snow clears. So, I have quite a few instances where a helmet is something I consider essential.
Ski goggles are big enough to incorporate HUD tech, but may or may not fit in combination with a helmet. (Also, Google-Glass-style clip-ons: https://www.reconinstruments.com/products/jet/) Everything is expensive and reviews are mixed, mostly due to battery life and software issues.
>manarth: A true HUD doesn't need you to look away, or refocus your eyes. The Recon screen's position (near the bottom of the goggles) means you have to almost go cross-eyed to read it
Their handbook says it should only be looked at when stationary
NW Maine, outside of Rangeley. I'm about equidistant from the Canadian border and Mt. Washington, which is in NH. I'm perched on the side of a mountain, in an unincorporated township, about 25 miles from the village center in Rangeley.
You'd not be the first person from the Internet to come visit me. It's too addictive/beautiful for me to get into additional details. Doing so tends to derail threads. If you are really curious, uninvolved@outlook.com is a fine way to reach me.
Often, it's hard to recall exactly how you landed and rolled etc. in an accident because it happens so fast. So, if you've had a fall, just replace the helmet. You may think it never hit the ground but it's not worth the risk it entails.
That is definitely a safer option, though I was thinking more low speed mishaps where you can be reasonably certain that there was no head strike and where there are no new marks on the helmet.
I forget the company but one of them was going to do something like the gridiron football helmets. They were going to have a g-force indicator in them to indicate damage and concussion potential. I'm not sure what became of it.
Those helmets are made. Unfortunately while a helmet can protect your skull from breaking it doesn't do a lot to prevent concussion. Concussion results from the brain being whiplashed around inside the skull. Helmets won't stop that.
The shock indicators can possibly help determine if a hit was hard enough to suspect a concussion, but diagnosis of a concussion is based on symptoms.
Hmm... That's not a horrible idea but would it be proprietary and locked to a single OEM? There would be my big concern.
My last bike was a BMW, my new one a Ducati. Helmets from the previous might not work with the new one. I currently own only one bike but I kind of want something big, fat, and noisy. Would it work with that, or would I need to add to my already absurd collection of helmets?
I love the idea but the practicality and safety would be my major concerns. If this were a site where we posted pics, I'd probably go get you a picture. I already have about 20 helmets (see above reply to sibling comment), which isn't all that abnormal in my geographic location.
Hell, if you count bicycle helmets, I have even more. No, no I didn't expect this to be an outcome of moving here.
Yeah I don't know much about helmets/motrcycles in general.
If they had such a thing as a thin flexible display, that you could just wrap over or in your visor and it was able to receive video. Where does the camera go? Not sure.
Holograms, just have a dashboard thing show a floating display, but why your physical speedometer is right there already.
I don't know if the website is deliberately vague, or the proposers of this project just don't know what it's going to be yet. There's not really any mention of why it would be useful, what it would do, and why anyone would want to build one.
* It's unlikely to be a motorcycle helmet because sharp embedded electronics inside a helmet is a recipe for head injury
* It might be useful on a bicycle (for couriers, etc), but having windows popping up while cycling is a pretty bad idea
* It might be useful for walking around (but probably not because it would look stupid)
Honestly, this is frustrating to read because I still can't figure out what it's for.
This line about the software running on it seems to have a hint:
> Dragonfire is the open source virtual assistant project for Ubuntu based Linux distributions. She will serve to the user of the helmet as a command and control interface so that you will be even able to order physical operations just by your voice commands and your eye movements.
but yes, they could be a lot clearer...
On the other hand, the page looks to be a work in progress. The armour links go nowhere, and the armour repository has only one directory (though it seems like the intent is to have many).
It seems like they're building an opensource, cloudless Jarvis. I must say I do like the cloudless aspect.
I saw that, but there's no explanation of what the virtual assistant will do in context of the helmet (automate emails? terminal commands? maps and navigation? cowsay?).
As for the rest of the armour links... I never understood the point of submitting something to HN that was barely more than a landing page. Just seems a bit misjudged, is all.
Agreed, I was thinking it was a riding helmet, then I saw the mention of pollution and thought it was maybe just for walking around, but then there's the Armor dropdown which seems to hark back to being riding related. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That said, it does look cool and I'm all for some wearable tech, if only for bad ideas that lead to good ones.
I see a lot of confusion in the comments about "is it a motorcycle helmet?" If you scroll past the picture to read the _first two sentences_ I think it's pretty clear.
> From air pollution to high demand on smart wearable technologies there are many emerging problems for people who live in crowded cities. Very soon we will need to cover our nostrils and mouths with a filter to protect our health against inevitable air pollution.
It's a wearable computer placed on your head, under the assumption that you'll want to wear full head-cover anyway.
What? To me nothing about those first two sentences(or any of the other sentences) indicate it's a moto helmet. The pictures sure do, but none of the text makes this clear it's for motorcycles instead of bicycles.
Right, because it’s clearly not intended for either. It’s a head computer in he form of a helmet. The only protection they want to offer is against pollution.
Yeah, that stuck me as a bizarre thing to say. Air pollution has declined in just about every developed country. Trends in power generation and electric vehicles point in the direction of even less urban air pollution in the future.
You're being downvoted but I have to agree I don't see any real-world use cases for this. It's too dangerous to use while riding a bike and I'm not going to walk around with a helmet on, talking to a virtual assistant.
It may be useful in some kind of industrial environment with AR applications, but then again a helmet is not the most practical/comfortable item to wear for long periods of time.
Honestly I think they’re using the helmet as a prototype for a smaller device that will eventually be built once someone solves the “wearable vision” problem.
Possibly, but I still can't imagine talking to a virtual assistant anywhere except while driving or cooking.
I think a virtual assistant integrated with the head up display of a car would be much more useful than wearables assuming we can keep people from hacking them and turning them into a major safety hazard by watching youtube videos while driving.
Sorry I know this is probably just a speculative project at the moment, but why would anyone would anyone want to have a view blocking video while walking around? At least with smart phones you can instantly look away if you need.
"I have great ideas and can produce some graphics and a decent looking web page. Now I just need to find someone to help with the actual work behind the product..."
Looking at the GitHub page for it, it seems like an already dead project that is desperate to be revived, but it's just not happening. This is a bad idea in its current state. As some others have said, this project just seems very poorly constructed. There's no target audience, usefulness, or real world applications, just a very open ended project.
Wearable tech is incredibly interesting, but I have to be able to imagine myself actually...well, wearing it. Google glass failed primarily just on that (well, that and the people around you not wanting to be filmed).
Just out of curiosity, did the makers of this ever place Runescape? There are so many Runescape references haha, such as the "dragon helmet", "dragon armour", "dragonfire" shield, etc.
Hell yes, I have been thinking about the same thing. Between all the assholes smoking cigarettes in the streets, to wanting a phone strapped to my head for AR passthrough. You have my brain.
This could potentially be interesting in space. To be able to bring up repair instructions etc. on the display during a spacewalk might have applications.
The helmet saved my life, quite probably. It was so effective that Buell wanted it back to study it. Other than smashing my hands and one ulna, I was just a bit battered and bruised but the helmet was a wreck. The bike was a complete loss. There were pics online, they probably still are.
Anyhow, unless you're going to end up with a heavy over-sized monstrosity, the electronics are going to take up space in the padding. I may be biased, but I'm kind of partial to that padding.
By the way, get certified helmets. Inspect your helmet for damage on a regular basis. Replace damaged parts. Replace any helmet that has been involved in an accident involving any force to the helmet.
Of all those, a certified helmet seems to be the more pressing issue. I see many people wearing novelty helmets that are just as likely to cause additional injury as they are to prevent injury.
Ride safe.