Are helmets like this going to be how we all cycle one day? Maybe! (Unit 1)
For many years, bike helmets have been an important part of cycling. Head injuries are serious business, so it really makes sense to protect your head!
But while helmets protect you if a collision happens, ideally you want to avoid a collision entirely.
To do that, you need to be visible on the road. For a long time, cyclists addressed this problem by attaching battery-powered lights to their bikes. But over the past few years, new smart helmets are combining these solutions into one system of smart tech.
We're talking cutting-edge bike helmets that not only contain lights, but lights that work more like car lights.
One example of this kind of tech is the brand new AURA system, by an international startup company called Unit 1.
Portable and visible
Above all, the AURA is a solid, lightweight bike helmet. But the additional lights and app make it even more safe. (Unit 1)
The AURA makes a cyclist and their bike as easy to see and "understand" as a car on the road.
We say understand because its lights do more than just shine or even flicker on and off. They can actually indicate which way the cyclist is going to turn at an intersection, or if they are slowing down or stopping.
The heart of the system is a lightweight, ventilated smart helmet. It features a front headlight to illuminate what is in front of the cyclist. Then on the back is a red brake light that can also act as a turning signal.
There are attachments to put a headlight and taillight on the bike itself, as well as a small controller on the handlebars to trigger the turn signal. Lastly there is an app that allows you to control how all of these pieces are setup.
Maybe the coolest part? The lights themselves attach with magnets and are interchangeable. In other words, there isn't one light that has to be the headlight and one that has to be the brake light. The system comes with four lights that you can configure however you like through the app. That does sound smart!
Do you think that smart helmets and biking systems like this will be the way of the future? Check out this video from Mashable below to watch how the AURA works!
