More than passive protection: Filming, tracking, transmitting and steaming - bike helmets are getting smarter and smarter and should even be able to warn us of accidents in the future. At least that's how the sporting goods company BRG Sports and the camera manufacturer 360fly see it. Together, they are currently presenting a series of multi-media helmets with an integrated 360-degree video camera for the Bell and Giro brands at the CES in Las Vegas.
Bike helmet with built-in 360-degree camera
Bell and Giro are launching a total of four helmet models with a built-in 360-degree camera. For mountain bikers, the all-mountain helmet with removable chin guard Bell Super 2R with the 360fly is at the start. The range also includes helmets for motorbike (road and motocross) and winter sports.
The camera discreetly integrated into the helmet shell enables 360-degree film recordings with a maximum resolution of 2880 x 2880 pixels and a frame rate of 30 fps with just one lens, but also supports the conventional 16:9 format. The built-in GPS sensor also provides information such as location, altitude and current speed. Data is transferred to other devices via Bluetooth or WiFi. The manufacturer claims a battery life of up to two hours.
New technologies: networked helmet as a safety control centre
Using a smartphone and the in-house app, the videos can be edited immediately and published on social media platforms. But that's not all. Hobby directors will receive additional technologies as support when the helmet series is launched: The "AutoPilot action tracking" function makes it possible to follow a previously defined point in the image and thus quickly and easily produce action videos in which the rider is really always in focus.
The "Collision Avoidance Alert" recognises obstacles and automatically warns the driver of potential dangers - even outside the natural field of vision. If you want, you can use the "Live Streaming" function and the optional micro HDMI base to stream your 360-degree video in full HD resolution to the internet in real time.
And because nothing is more boring than hours of home videos without any spectacle, a new auto-edit function is planned under the name "Highlight Reel", which automatically creates 1 to 2-minute sequences that show the most action.
Sebastian Brust
Editor
