Russian Startup Helmet Company Receives Grant To Improve Its Design
[caption id="attachment_36406" align="alignright"
width="300"] Livemap - Helmet With Built in GPS
Navigation[/caption]
The future of full-faced motorcycle helmets could be something out
of science fiction novels, but a Russian startup is trying to get
its futuristic gear on the market as soon as possible. According to
Tech Crunch, the Russian-based company
Livemap recently received a grant from the Russian government,
totaling nearly $300,000, to produce a full-faced motorcycle helmet
that will have GPS technology and other
electric hardware built into the gear.
The voice-controlled GPS will help riders stay safe by giving them
something that won't mess with a motorcyclist's field of vision,
the source reported. Recently, Andrew Artishchev, CEO of Livemap,
told Tech Crunch in an email that it was working on an aspherical
lens, which would be "smaller and lighter and sometimes cheaper
than the multi-lens design." The CEO added that his main goal was
to create a design that will keep the price of optics low.
Dmitri Sizonov, the usability expert for LiveMap, explained that
while the company is trying to design something that is
cost-effective and lightweight, it also wants users to be safe
using the technology while riding, Sputnik News reported.
"We tried to make our interface as simple and as friendly as
possible; the picture is always in focus," said Sizonov. "You don't
have to switch from the road to the interface. You just look
through it and see the interface and the road at the same
time."
The interface shows upcoming bends and turns in the road as well as
the rider's speed and GPS directions if they are entered. The
helmet has LTE 4G Internet connectivity, which allows the
voice-based control to work quickly and efficiently if the
directions need to be changed mid-ride.
Another motorcycle helmet tech company,
Skully, is also trying to get its brand started. Both helmets
could be on the market in the near future.