VR-Zone Tech News for the Geeks May 2012 Issue

Page 10

May 31st, 2012

Check out Hovding's airbag helmet if you want to cycle in style

Published by: VR-Zone

from hundreds of normal cycling situations and accident simulations.

Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/check-out-hovding-s-airbag-helmetif-you-want-to-cycle-in-style/16092.html May 31st, 2012

Let’s just admit it, bicycle helmets are bulky and ugly, but a Swedish company has come up with a design for an airbaghelmet design that just might make you want to put it on. The Hövding design company has concocted an airbag necklace that deploys when a person is detected as falling off or in a bicycle accident. The Hövding bicycle necklace has various sensors built in that detect the cyclist’s movement, and can deploy in a fraction of a second before impact.

A STM32 microcontroller is the brain of the necklace, and —according to Hövding—it is designed to conserve energy so riders don’t have to worry too much about charging their necklace. One setback of the necklace is that its main function is to protect riders from "abnormal movements"— therefore, if a rock come flying at you while you are on your bike, you would get hit by the rock first and then fall off your bike as the airbag deploys. “Hövding will only be deployed if the bicyclist makes an abnormal movement in an accident. This means that Hövding will not protect bicyclists from objects falling directly onto their head from above. However, this type of bicycling accident is extremely rare.” - hovding.com The benefits of having an airbag protecting you from a bicycle accident is great, but will it look as good on you as it did on the Hövding supermodel?

Let’s just admit it, bicycle helmets are bulky and ugly, but a Swedish company has come up with a design for an airbaghelmet that just might make you want to put it on. The Hövding design company has concocted an airbag necklace that deploys when a person is detected as falling off or in a bicycle accident. The Hövding bicycle necklace has various sensors built in that detect the cyclist’s movement, and can deploy in a fraction of a second before impact. The integrated sensors detect linear and angular motion so it doesn’t matter which direction you fall or fly, the airbag will deploy to reduce the degrees of injuries that may ensue. Much like a computer that has learned a thing or two about human behavior, the Hövding necklace is run by sophisticated algorithms that call up information

Asus' Maximus V Formula to be available in two SKUs Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-maximus-v-formula-to-beavailable-in-two-skus/16089.html

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