Tag Archives: hud

Motorcycle News, News

Revan camera may replace mirrors

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Future motorcycles may not need mirrors with this Revan helmet-mounted live-feed camera that screens images to a head-up display (HUD).

Some may find this bulky camera and HUD device as a safety feature that eliminates blind spots while others may view it as a dangerous distraction.

The Revan system includes an intercom for VoIP-based group calling and bluetooths to your phone so you can hear GPS instructions, take and make calls and listen to music.

Crowd fundingRevan dashcam HUD bluetooth unit

Revan hopes to take this to market through a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign which has already more than doubled its $47,689 goal with 32 days still to go.

The South Korean developers claim it will cost $US999 (about $A1600) or $US699 (about $A1130) for early supporters.

However, there is no timeline for when the product will be produced and delivered.

We warn potential supporters of Kickstarter crowd-funding campaigns that they do not issue a refund. Backers will have to contact the campaigner for a refund, put a stop to their payment or cancel their credit card.

How Revan worksRevan dashcam HUD bluetooth unit

The Revan system is the most bulky camera or HUD system we have yet seen.

It features a big battery unit on the back and large camera on top of the helmet, plus speakers inside the helmet all connected by messy wiring.

We have to wonder about the dangerous rotation of your head in a crash and the damage that could cause to your spine.

Under coming European helmet regulations, this unit would have to be tested with helmets to be approved for sale.

The unit has two batteries with 7000 mAh of power that last 12 hours. The battery unit features built-in LED lights for night visibility.

Revan dashcam HUD bluetooth unitBattery unit

Revan’s 1080p HD camera provides a 143° field of vision.Revan dashcam HUD bluetooth unit

It can be operated by a Bluetooth remote control that get on your handlebars.

Revan dashcam HUD bluetooth unitRemote control

Or you can simply nod your head a couple of times to activate the front and rear cameras.Revan dashcam HUD bluetooth unit

It not only shows the live feed on the periphery HUD screen, but also records it like a dashcam.

There is also a phone app that allows you to watch a live feed, set up group calls or adjust the camera settings.

The live feed facility could even replace conventional mirrors in future, although we would feel better about using our mirrors.

Also in the future, they plan to include navigation as well as real-time streaming so your loved ones can sit at home and keep track of your ride!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

EyeRide HUD has unlimited group chat

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French company EyeLights already makes head-up display units for cars and is now planning to move into motorcycles with a revolutionary EyeRide connection system for large group intercom.

Instead of using Bluetooth to connect, it uses a data connection to a Discord app server.

While EyeRide promises virtually unlimited group chats with others on the same network including non-riders, it relies on an internet connection and will use up your phone data.

Eyeride HUD screenEyelights EyeRide hud unit

Otherwise, EyeRide is like a standard Bluetooth intercom that supplies music, phone calls and GPS navigation prompts using Garmin HERE maps, but also has a small HUD screen for important information as in this video.

It is slightly transparent and on the right side, which may be fine in a country where you drive on the right.

We are not sure yet if it can be moved to the left for riding in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and other left-side countries as they haven’t released all the details yet.Eyelights EyeRide hud unit

The company plans to launch a Kickstarter shortly to get the product off the ground. (We will update with the link when it starts.)

We advise to be cautious of supporting Kickstarter programs as you may not get your money back if they don’t go ahead.

Given EyeLights already produce a car HUD system, they may be a little more secure than a normal speculative start-up.

HUD concerns

I haven’t used a HUD system yet in a helmet and can’t verify if it is a distraction or allows you to safely keep your eyes on the road.

However, I have driven several cars with HUD systems on the windscreen and found them extremely useful, safe and non-distracting.Eyelights EyeRide hud unit

Unfortunately, few of these aftermarket HUD systems or integrated HUD helmets have made it to market.

Infamously, Skully HUD helmets raised a record amount through crowd-funding then fraudulently spent it on fast cars and fast women and went bankrupt.

It was later bought and resurrected as the Skully Fenix AR, but we haven’t seen them here yet.

Skully Fenix AR head-up display helmet HUD revolutionSkully Fenix AR

Yet, almost every month new HUD systems and helmets are announced.

The latest smart helmets, unveiled at the recent Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show, are one from Chinese cycling helmet company Livall and the Tali Connected from a French startup

Tali Connected and Livall smarter helmetsTali Connected and Livall HUD helmets

Meanwhile, the first aftermarket HUD company, NuViz, recently closed down, leaving owners stranded with no GPS function as their map licence expired, according to RideApart.

KTM invests in Nuviz-770 HUD technology smart helmetNuviz HUD unit

Like all new technology, there will be bugs and it seems HUD has had more than its fair share over the past few years.

That doesn’t mean HUD technology isn’t coming.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Bosch glasses have head-up display

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As smart motorcycle helmets with head-up display (HUD) technology are starting to hit the market, Bosch has designed a HUD system that works with your normal sunglasses or prescription glasses.

They believe it will be available in 2021. But just how safe is it?

How head-up display works

HUD is usually a system where a transparent periphery screen displays important information such as satnav turns and speed without the rider/driver having to look away from the road ahead at their instruments.

In some HUD systems, the display is projected on to car windscreens or helmets visors.

However, Bosch’s system uses a microelectromechanical scanner to bounce light off a holographic element built into the lens, directly on to your eye’s retina, not the glass lenses.

The glasses are completely transparent when turned off and the slim system does not need thick and bulky frames.

Bosch HUD head-up display glasses
Bosch HUD glasses can be worn by drivers and all types of riders

They are similar to expensive and heavy Google Glasses, but are flatter, lighter (only 10g) and work in all lighting conditions.

Bosch Snesortec boss Dr Stefan Finkbeiner says the display image is sharp, clear and always in focus.

“The Smartglasses Light Drive System is currently the smallest and lightest solution on the market and can convert almost any normal glasses into Smartglasses,” he says. 

“With such smart glasses, users receive a lot of undisturbed navigation information and short messages. This makes driving safer and replaces the constant staring on smartphones or smartwatches.”

Safety or distraction?

While we can see the safety aspect of displaying vital information without the rider/driver taking their eyes off the road to look at their instruments, we are concerned with the application of this tech.

Bosch says their device will display information currently available on your smartphone or smartwatch.

“It is ideal for applications such as navigation, calls, wake-up calls, appointment reminders and short message services such as WhatsApp and WeChat,” Bosch says on its website.

Great! Just what we need is motorists being distracted by messages and apps.

With phone distractions considered as dangerous as drink driving, the last thing we need is for superfluous information to be available to motorists.

As usual, legislation to prevent this will be a long way behind the technology.

And how would police patrol for such tech if the glasses look like normal glasses?

Bosch will debut their Light Drive smart glass technology at the CES 2020 consumer technology expo in Las Vegas next month and hopes to have it available for manufacturers in 2021 under the product name BML500P.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Argon transforms helmet into Iron Man

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Argon Transform hi-tech helmet accessory transforms a standard helmet into an Iron Man helmet with head-up display, bluetooth, GPS and more.

Singapore start-up Whyre claim their Argon Transform is the world’s first dual-camera Augmented Reality attachment for a motorcycle helmet.

The $US795 ($A1140) unit doesn’t look too different to us from several others which are available or coming to market soon.

They include the HUDWAY Sight and Kiwi-designed Reyedr which is still seeking funding.

It also follows a growing wave of smart helmets that integrate HUD, and other tech into a motorcycle helmet.

The latest is the Australian-designed Forcite MK1 which has an LED light strip rather than HUD and includes a HD, wide-angle camera, Bluetooth and VOIP intercom and handlebar-mounted control unit.

Test Forcite smart helmet
Forcite

The advantages of aftermarket tech is that you can swap it to your new helmet when you retire the old one.

Argon TransformArgon Transform HUD

The Argon Transform comes as several Bluetooth-connected stick-on units for the side, front and back of the helmet, plus a screen on the inside of the chinbar.Argon Transform HUD

They combine a see-through head-up display with a Bluetooth handlebar controller, inbuilt GPS unit, plus front and back cameras.

Whyre claim the front and rear units weigh only 150g and balance each other out.

Argon Transform HUD
Rear camera

Riders will be able to see tailor-made info such as caller ID, GPS navigation arrows and speedometer, as well as what’s behind them. Video is recorded and stored on an SD card or accessed via an Argon app.

Argon Transform HUD
Rider’s view of the periphery screen

It will also allow riders to access specific ride statistics, Argon settings, a social community and a logbook that records last maintenance dates, spare part changes/cost etc.

The intercom has range only up to 100m, but the speakers are claimed to have active noise-cancelling which should mean clear sound without background wind noise and no need for earplugs.

Argon Transform HUD
(Never put your helmet on the ground like this unless you wants ants or other bugs in your helmet!)

The offline built-in GPS does not require data and operates in remote areas where phone reception is weak.

Argon claims the lithium-polymer battery will last for eight hours on a charge. 

Whyre has launched an Indiegogo Campaign to get a $US25,000 and is already a third of the way there.

Early customers will get the Argon Transform for $US398 ($A570) compared with the retail price of $US795 ($A1140). They plan to ship in February 2020.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Forcite smart helmet delivered in December

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Australian motorcycle helmet startup Forcite has promised its ultralight and ultra-hi-tech smart helmet will hit the market in December.

The Forcite helmet integrates a camera system, navigation, intercom and active noise-cancelling in the shell. It also features an electronically tinted visor that changes tint within a few milliseconds.

CEO and co-founder Alfred Boyadgis says their early supporters or “test pilots” will soon be able to buy a limited-edition founder carbon composite helmet (pictured above) with gold logos for under $1000.

Forcite sales director Dylan Ross says the planned retail price for the helmet when it comes to market later this year will be $A1299.

Flaws fixed

In this video he admits that their earlier Mach 1 model had a few flaws such as the camera position on the top.

He says that the top-mounted camera worked for sports bike riders, but those sitting upright mainly videoed the sky. And if the rider raised their visor, it obscured the camera.

The 160-degree camera has now been repositioned in the chin area.

Forcite smart helmet delivered in December
Chin bar helmet

Alfred also confirms that they have not altered the physics of the helmet which still complies with European ECE22.05 standards.

He says none of the lightweight electronics (<200g) is embedded in the foam lining to ensure the integrity of the helmet’s protection.

The Forcite helmet’s electronics are powered by two ceramic batteries that are guaranteed not to rupture or ignite in a crash.

December delivery

Forcite smart helmet funding

Last year Forcite invited riders to test the helmet in Australia and the US and received more than 2000 registrations to be test pilots. 

Those test pilots will soon be able to try out the helmet on a closed track at a Sydney racetrack.

It will be followed by a “Launch Tour” with demo events in select dealerships around the country.

Dylan says they will disclose the names and locations of participating dealerships soon.

“But you can certainly announce that we’ll be travelling to Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Tasmania, Brisbane, North Queensland, Canberra and multiple locations in Sydney/Greater Sydney region,” he says.

“We’re still confirming some of the structural components of the Launch Tour, but we are going national with this and getting in front of as many riders as we can.

“This isn’t juiced-up internet hype, this is a product with real-world usability, built by riders with input from the riding community over several years.” 

The good news is that riders who attend the demo days and order the helmet will get it at a discounted price under $1000. They promise delivery in December.

Uni design project

Forcite smart helmet delivered in December
Alfred with Mach 1 and founder helmets

The Forcite helmet evolved from an undergraduate UNSW design project with co-founder Julian Chow.

It followed Alfred’s “near-death experience” when he crashed his motorcycle in an oil spill about five years.

He says he broke his knee and cracked his helmet in half. The attached action camera almost penetrated his skull.

The helmet is based on similar smart helmets Forcite has developed for other industries, and the business recently received mentoring in the UNSW 10X Accelerator. 

They say their helmet and software package give riders “greater situational awareness and allows them to overcome their lack of visibility on the road by communicating essential information about their ride in a completely safe manner”.

It can also alert riders to nearby safety hazards with audio and light signals in the chin bar.

The helmet also provides video and audio recordings of the ride and it can be controlled via a smartphone app.

Forcite smart helmet delivered in December
Mobile app monitors helmet technology

All the technology is integrated inside the helmet with no external attachments.

Alfred says helmet attachments are illegal in NSW and being investigated by standards bodies in many countries.

(Our understanding is that NSW and Victorian police still believe external fittings render a helmet illegal, but NSW have been ordered not to fine riders until the issue is officially resolved.)

He says helmet attachments add weight to a helmet and at high-speed impact, can crack helmet shells, leading to death or injury.

There is also concern that they can cause dangerous head rotation in a crash.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Stop speedometer gazing with ‘ugly’ HUD

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A Toronto rider has developed an affordable but ugly head-up display (HUD) for a motorcycle helmet that provides speed alerts only so you don’t have to stare at your speedometer all the time.

Colin Lam, who has started producing the HUD for just $US79, admits the controller unit is bulky and ugly, but says it could just save your licence and your life.

“I just thought it was a cool idea and there weren’t any on the market at the time and the ones that were promised cost $700+,” he told us.

The perceived need for such technology is due to the proliferation of speed cameras and radar traps that have turned us into a nation of distracted and dangerous speedometer gazers.

How speedometer HUD works

Ugly speedometer HUD
Light display

Colin’s HUD display unit fits in the visor aperture of any helmet while a bulky and ugly controller attaches to the back with a GoPro-style mount.

Ugly speedometer HUD
Ugly controller

The display unit shows coloured lights that relate to your speed which it gets from a Bluetooth connection to an Android app.

You can set the coloured lights for brightness via the app.

Ugly speedometer HUD
App controls

Colours change from blue (0-9km/h), green (10-19km/h, yellow (20-29km/h), orange (30-39kmh) to red (40-49km/h).

Then it repeats the cycle, going back to blue for 50-59/km/h, green (60-69km/h, yellow (70-79km/h), orange (80-89kmh) to red (90-99km/h).

That’s a lot to remember and it could become a little confusing and distracting trying to remember which colour is which speed.

Hardware engineer

Ugly speedometer HUD
Colin and his Kwaka

Colin is a hardware engineer who started while he was living in California a few years ago.

“I started working on the idea when I got back to Canada in 2016, after I realised that there wasn’t really much helmet display tech out there (this was at the same time that Skully went down),” he says.

“I envisioned something like a fighter pilot’s HUD, but I wound up with this thing. It’s a hell of a lot simpler.”

Bulky issue

He agrees that the controller unit is bulky, but says slimming it down could be difficult.

“The best way to slim down the rear unit is to replace the three alkaline AAA batteries with lithium ion,” he says.Ugly speedometer HUD

“But Li-ion batteries don’t do well when they’re punctured or abraded. They explode.

“Alkalines, on the other hand, are usually okay, even when they’re sawn in half.

“Keeping the price tag low means using off-the-shelf batteries that are still safe, so I’m kind of stuck.

“As for the ugliness, you know, I figured that it’s kind of like Crocs. It’s kind of obvious, so I shouldn’t bother hiding it. If it’s useful enough, though, I think people will look past that.”

Where to buyUgly speedometer HUD

Colin plans to sell the speedometer on advancedmoto.com.

“For the record, I haven’t sold a single one yet, but they’re completely ready to go,” he says.

“I’d like to expand the app to Apple iOS at some point; maybe once I get a clearer idea if this is something that will actually sell,” he says.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Is this the smartest helmet yet?

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A British company has claimed it will unveil the smartest augmented-reality helmet yet at the London Bike Show in September 2019.

Apart from the usual intercom with phone capabilities, it will also feature a GPS, music streaming, heads-up display, photochromic visor, LED brake light, crash warning system, a 360-degree camera and “A whole host of other features”.

Adam Wilson from the Resolve Group contacted us recently about the helmet after we published an article about a patent pending on a full-length airbag suit.

Resolve Group airbag leather suit patented smartest
Resolve Group’s patented airbag leather suit

He said they would also have their full-length airbag suit at the bike show, along with the helmet and another product which they have not yet revealed.

“We are not looking for funding as we have invested our own funds into the projects,” he says.

“The helmets are being made as we speak. The suits will start to be manufactured in a few weeks.”

Smartest helmet

We have published numerous articles recently about smart helmets with head-up display, GPS, crash warnings, brake lights and even Honda’s idea for a helmet with facial recognition to act as a remote key fob for your bike.

honda helmet key fob radar smartest
Honda’s helmet key fob patent drawing

It seems a new wave of smart helmets is definitely coming.

The first generation of the Resolve Group’s helmet is a guarded secret until the launch in September.

To minimise unauthorised leaks Adam only supplied CAD photographs and said there might be some “small changes” during production.

It will have ECE.22, TUV and DOT certification and Adam anticipates offering the first generation helmet at below the £1000 (about $A1880, $US1300, €1175). 

The first generation will be made from polycarbonate shell with an eps inner moulded to accommodate spectacles.

Resolve Group smartest helmet
CAD of Resolve Group’s helmet

The visor is photochromic which means it changes tint with ambient light. It will have a built-in GPS, voice activation and voice prompts.

Cameras offering 360 degree panoramic views will provide an early audible/visual warning system of an impending collision.

It will also feature LED lighting on the front and the rear light will be activated by deceleration to act as a brake warning light.

“Other functions are a guarded secret,” Adam says.

“Safe to say it’s the most advanced helmet available.”

We look forward to testing this technology and see how much it weighs.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

News

Funding boost for Aussie Forcite smart helmet

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Australian motorcycle helmet startup Forcite has received a welcome funding boost that will ensure its ultralight and ultra-hi-tech smart helmet hits the market in the next few months.

The Forcite helmet integrates a camera system, navigation, intercom and active noise-cancelling. It also features an electronically tinted visor that changes tint within a few milliseconds.

Uniseed funding

It looks so impressive, Australia’s longest-running research commercialisation fund Uniseed, has invested in the company, bringing Forcite’s total funding to $2.8 million. 

Forcite spokesman Alfred Boyadgis says the money will allow them to “focus on completing the product and getting ready for test-days”.

“It also means we can stop eating pop tarts and two-minute noodles,” he jokes. Forcite smart helmet funding

Alfred says the helmet will be launched in late April to mid-May.

A founder’s limited-edition helmet in carbon composite with gold logos will be available at around $US949 (about $A1330) to those who come along to their test days.

“This makes our helmet the most affordable smart helmet to be on the market,” Alfred says.

“The founder’s edition is only available to “test pilots” and will be heavily discounted as the point of it is to give something special to those who help us.

“We are selective with the test group and only 10% of people make it in.” 

Smart helmet revolutionForcite smart helmet funding

The smart helmet revolution is coming with several hi-tech helmets or add-on units hitting the market in the next few years, changing riding forever. 

Not to be outdone by Silicon Valley and Asian tech wizards, Alfred and Julian Chow of Forcite Helmets in Sydney have developed their own smart helmet software package.

It evolved from an undergraduate UNSW design project after Alfred’s “near-death experience” in a motorcycle accident where his helmet cracked in half and the attached action camera almost penetrated his skull.

The helmet is based on similar smart helmets Forcite has developed for other industries, and the business recently received mentoring in the UNSW 10X Accelerator. 

They say their helmet and software package give riders “greater situational awareness and allows them to overcome their lack of visibility on the road by communicating essential information about their ride in a completely safe manner”.

It can also alert riders to nearby safety hazards and provides video and audio recordings of the ride.

“We have seen riders attach all sorts of equipment to their helmets in an effort to record their rides – either for fun or for safety,” Alfred says.

“However, the practice of attaching cameras to helmets is currently illegal in NSW and being investigated by standards bodies in many countries as the devices add to the weight of the helmet and at high speed impact, can crack helmet shells, leading to death or injury.” 

(Our understanding is that NSW and Victorian police still believe external fittings render a helmet illegal, but NSW have been ordered not to fine riders until the issue is officially resolved.)

Forcite futureForcite smart helmet funding

Forcite recently invited riders to test the helmet in Australia and the US. More than 2000 riders registered to be test pilots. 

Alfred says the company is now in discussions with major motorcycle brands and distributors in Australia and the United States.

“The early interest has resulted in a groundswell of momentum that will culminate when our helmets hit the road early this year,” he says.

Uniseed investment manager Natasha Rawlings says the need for the product is “immense”.

She says the market for helmets with electronics embedded is already worth more than $17 billion a year and will grow 10% in the next eight years.

“Our funding will enable the company to address this growing unmet need and deliver a safer, better experience for thousands of riders worldwide,” she says.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

News

Haptic jacket warns rider of collision

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Imagine a motorcycle jacket that vibrates when it senses you are about to have a collision or delivers that disco bass rumble in your gut when you play music in your helmet?

The Origin “haptic” jacket will come as part of a package with a Zenith head-up display helmet (HUD) when you buy the coming 240km/h Arc Vector electric motorcycle costing about £90,000 ($A160,000, $US117,000).

Click here for more information on the British Arc Vector.Arc Vector electric motorcycle with collision warning

The bike features “haptic” handlebars and seat that vibrate if they sense a crash or you try to merge into a lane where there is a car. Similar technology has been around in some cars for years.

Vector is also integrated with the Zenith head-up display helmet.

No further details are available, but there are several HUD helmets hitting the market with different functions.Zenith HUD helmet Arc Vector electric motorcycle with collision warning

Haptic collision warning

Their Origin jacket takes collision warning even further with haptic pads that vibrate.

It features different modes including “Dynamic” to “amplify the sense of excitement during a dynamic ride”.

Another is called “Euphoric” that produces that deep bass rumble.

While these are entertainment modes, Arc founder and CEO Mark Truman says the normal haptic mode that responds to crash threats can be used to “augment mirrors as a threat detection system”.

Riders will experience a buzz in their back or one shoulder to indicate the presence and direction of another threatening vehicle.

Origin jacket Arc Vector electric motorcycle with collision warning
Vibrating haptic pads

“The haptic jacket and high-tech helmet are designed to help meld man and machine into one,” Arc claims. 

Mark says it allows the rider to keep their eyes on the road ahead. However, we would argue that a shoulder check is always advisable.

“People ask me if this could be distracting, but it is actually designed to be the total opposite,” Mark says.

“The tech frees you and your senses because the distractions have been removed.

“It allows you to concentrate on the road and your oneness with the bike, to just enjoy the moment knowing the bike is looking out for you and the information you need is right in front of you.”

So why provide entertainment haptic modes?

Arc VectorArc Vector electric motorcycle with collision warning

Meanwhile, the 95kW Arc Vector has a top speed of 241km/h (150mph) and accelerates to highway seed in 2.7 seconds.

Range is claimed to be 190km (about 120 miles) on the highway or 274km (170 miles) in the city.

Only 355 bikes will be produced.

It features a lightweight carbonfibre swingarm and a new type of battery that makes the bike a chimed 25% lighter than its competition.

It also comes with custom Ohlins dampers and Brembo brakes mounted in the 6 o’clock position.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com