Riding motorcycles on public roads has never been the safest thing to do. While many accidents occur not due to rider error but because of other road users, riders also want the convenience features afforded to cars and could really use a pair of eyes in the back of their heads. That’s exactly what California-based company Skully Systems — run by brothers Marcus and Mitchell Weller — has decided to offer, and they’ve added a few more technologically advanced elements for good measure.
Called the Skully AR-1, the new motorcycle helmet — billed as the ‘world’s smartest’ — includes a wide-angle rear view camera with high-speed microprocessor and GPS navigation. The information is displayed on a transparent head-up display located in the lower right hand corner of the anti-scratch, fog and glare resistant visor. But Skully didn’t stop there. The helmet is also equipped with Bluetooth connectivity for connecting to the Internet via your phone, making hands-free phone calls and streaming music via the integrated audio system.
While it could be argued that motorcycling is demanding enough without adding additional elements that could lead to distraction, most riders already have addendum to enable them to stay connected whilst riding and have a number of cables strewn about to attach their phones or GPS units to the bike. The Skully AR-1 helmet’s fully immersive system allows all of the technology to be accessible without adding those extra components.
The Skully AR-1 project first appeared on the crowd-funding site Indiegogo on August 10th, and has attracted so much interest that the company has exceeded its funding goal by more than $1 million and still has 21 days to go. So many people have expressed interest that it seems inevitable that other companies will follow Skully’s lead in offering these features on their future helmets.
