Have You Ever Heard of an Airbag Helmet?

Riding a motorcycle can be a risky affair. Not only are we more vulnerable on the roads, we are also prone to be more affected by road hazards such as bad weather, potholes and bad drivers.

Thankfully, motorcyclists also have a whole lot of safety technology to look forward to. Whether it is electronics installed onto the bike itself or advanced riding gear, there are many exciting developments in the motorcycle industry today.

(All images taken from ZigWheels and are used for representation purposes only)

Three students from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee - also the oldest Technical Institution of Asia - also have something to contribute.

The trio from IIT-Roorkee, Rajvardhan Singh, Sarang Nagwanshi and Mohit Siddha has rolled out with their latest invention - a helmet that can be worn around your neck and inflates like an airbag in case of an impact.
According to ZigWheels, the final year mechanical engineering students were first inspired when they were working on an inflatable space antenna during their internship at Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

The material reportedly used by the students is Kevlar, which is the same material used to make bullet-proof vests. Meant to be worn as a sort of collar around the neck, the device contains multiple sensors for the lean angle, velocity and acceleration of the bike.

By recording all this information, the Kevlar collar will also be able to detect any unusual variations as well as possibility of an impact. When that happens, the collar will inflate into an airbag and form a cushioning layer around the head to protect the rider from major injuries.

Capable of inflating in less than 100 milliseconds, this airbag helmet technology works in similar ways to that of airbags found in cars. According to NDTV, the airbag that surrounds the head will help to lessen impact and peak acceleration, which is what harms the head the most.

Tests conducted by the IIT-Roorkee team has also revealed that the inflatable airbag helmet is able to reduce the force of impact by up to four times, as compared to a conventional helmet. (If you are wondering, they thankfully did not test it on themselves but rather on crash test dummies.)

Of course, the concept of an inflatable airbag helmet is not new. Other companies have developed similar technologies before, but the trio aims to make a difference in the cost, so as to keep the product cost feasible for many riders.

With the ones currently on the market sure to burn a hole in many bikers’ wallet, the team will be attempting to switch things up by sourcing for cheap and readily available sensors. They are also currently on the lookout for investors and industrial partners to make the product commercially viable.

The helmet is currently in its prototype stage, so it should be able to enter the market soon and start saving some lives.