Cyclist's Safety Airbag

For drivers, taking care of their health has become a familiar and essential principle. When it comes to cyclists, however, not many think about their protection. Bike owners use helmets to prevent head injuries, but they come with several drawbacks:

• They mess up your hairstyle.
• Helmets are quite heavy and bulky.
• They don't quite match with your clothes and urban style.
• They can get hot.
• When a cyclist reaches their destination, they have to carry their helmet with them since it can't be left with their bike.

Creative developers, industrial designers Anna Haupt and Teresa Alstin from the Swedish company Hövding, tackled the traditional bike helmet's shortcomings.

The helmet has transformed into a collar, becoming a compact safety airbag that inflates upon impact or collision.

How It Works

This device looks like a scarf but actually consists of a safety airbag with built-in sensors and an outer cover. If a cyclist encounters an obstacle or falls off their bike, the airbag instantly deploys and fills with gas in just 1/10 of a second.

A hood-like structure forms around the cyclist's head, absorbing the main impact force and cushioning it. Additionally, the device includes a black box feature. The helmet stores information about the last 10 seconds before the sensors are triggered (like a black box for accident reconstruction). After deployment, the airbag needs replacement. The helmet requires periodic charging via a USB port.

The top layer of the helmet consists of waterproof fabric that can have any design. The external cover can be changed daily to match your clothing style.

The set of cover and safety airbag costs 399 euros. In comparison, a regular helmet costs around 40 euros. Unfortunately, the high price currently hinders widespread adoption of this invention, but you can help your cyclist friends by sharing a link to this article. It's possible that traditional bike helmets will soon be replaced by innovative hoods with safety airbag functionality.