It was only a matter of time in the age of electronics until motorcycle helmets became more than crash protection. A case in point is Forcite’s “smart” motorcycle helmet, packing Bluetooth communication, a chin-mounted camera with image stabilization, and performance-tracking sensors, all wrapped in a lightweight carbon-fiber shell. A suite of built-in sensors includes an altimeter, barometer, global positioning system (GPS) and gyroscope for automatic ride analysis on the road and especially the track. The built-in battery is an inert lithium pack that Forcite says can withstand bending, cutting, high impacts and piercing, without exploding. Connect via Bluetooth to a phone “and you’ve got calls, music, podcasts and navigation prompts streaming into your ears,” reports emerging technologies magazine, New Atlas.
Helmets are evolving to provide more than crash protection. With added electronics, they can give riding analysis and stream music from a mobile device, among other things. PHOTO: FORCITE