Two Swedish women, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, have designed what they call the invisible bike helmet.
The two came up with the idea of an airbag helmet in 2005 while studying Industrial Design at the University of Lund.
Quoted as cyclists “who wouldn’t be seen dead in a polystyrene helmet,” the two set out to question why so few other Swedish cyclists didn’t wear cycle helmets either, despite the obvious protection they offer. Answers given included “they’re a pain to carry about, they all look hideous and ruin your hair”.
The resulting invention, called a Hövding helmet, is essentially a collar attachment which inflates into a hood-style airbag, wrapping your head before impact. The airbag won an industry-coveted D&AD product design award in 2012.
The airbag is made of ultra-strong nylon designed not to rip on impact. When inflated, the airbag covers a much larger area than a traditional cycle helmet and the idea is that airbag provides gentler shock absorption. Hövding say “the pressure remains constant for several seconds, making it able to withstand multiple head impacts during the same accident. After that the airbag slowly starts to deflate.”
Research, during which the company re-enacted thousands of cycling accidents, enabled them to collect data on the specific movement patterns of cycling accidents. Comparing that data to ‘normal’ cycling movements resulted in an algorithm that distinguishes between normal cycling and trauma, which then triggers the airbag to inflate.
Hövding’s battery needs to be re-charged using a USB cable after about 18 hours of cycling. The gas inflator is in a holder in the collar on the cyclist’s back and uses helium.
The debate in the UK as to whether people choose to wear cycle helmets at all is still a lively one. And while ‘helmet hair’ may not be a concern to many, comments from the public on the Hövding generally seem to indicate that anything offering cyclists protection in accidents can only be a good thing. Termed the “airbag for your noggin” by one, another concisely noted that “my head and its contents are very important to me.”
The Hövding helmet retails at 399 Euros.
