Forcite Helmets secure $1.65M government grant
Forcite Helmet Systems P/L, the Australian company producing ‘smart’ helmets with an integral
front-facing camera, head-up display and audio system, is now partnering with Harley-Davidson Australia, three Australian universities and others to develop next-generation smart helmet technology to save motorcyclists’ lives.
Now in its second-generation (following the original MK1 from 2019), the latest ‘MK1S’ helmet from Forcite features improvements to the visor (now Pinlock compatible) and neck roll padding, a wider-angle camera lens and updated app functionality, but all the key features remain, like the carbon fibre shell that’s ECE-22.05 safety certified (total helmet weight is 1.5kg), as well as the 1080p action camera and microphones in the chinbar, Harman Kardon speakers, satnav and head-up display.
To clarify, the HUD doesn’t project graphics onto the visor, but instead uses an LED light bar in the lower section of the visor opening, below the rider’s field of vision, to provide navigation directions, identify hazards, advise of traffic and warn of speed cameras, amongst other functions, using specific colours and sequences. Data is updated via the free Forcite app (download from Apple Store or Google Play) and adjustments can be made with the included handlebar-mounted control module.
To develop this technology further, Forcite is partnering with the University of Canberra, Macquarie University, Western Sydney University and other partners that include Transport for NSW, APPRO Photoelectron Inc., NSW Smart Sensing Network and Harley Davidson Australia in what will be a multi-stage project with $5,654,275 in total funding, of which Forcite and the three universities have received a Co-operative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grant of $1,5650.505 from the Federal Government.
"With motorcycle fatalities 30 times higher than other road users, it's time to take action. By bringing together cutting-edge smart helmet technology and advanced rider assistance systems, we can help pre-empt hazards, enabling swift evasive action,” said Forcite CEO and Co-Founder, Alfred Boyadgis.
“Along with the brightest minds in the industry, we're proud to lead the charge in reducing risk and increasing the joy of riding. Forcite's partnership with Australian universities, Harley-Davidson Australia, and Transport for NSW, backed by the CRC-P grant, will change the game for motorcycle safety.”
The research project will consist of two stages: detection and intervention. The University of Canberra’s Human-Centred Technology (HCT) Research Centre will be leading the detection stage to develop the smart sensing system that will recognise other road users and hazards on the road.
“Collision avoidance systems in cars, such as lane departure alerts and autonomous emergency braking systems, are common in new models, but equivalent technology for motorcycles, which are far more vulnerable on the road, is still in its infancy,” said research team leader, Assistant Professor Ibrahim Radwan from the University of Canberra's HCT Research Centre.
Associate Professor John Cass and Dr Tomas Trescak, researchers from the Western Sydney University’s MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, School of Computer, Data and Mathematical Sciences and School of Psychology, will employ neuroscientific principles to evaluate the effects of different types of helmet-based heads-up display information on rider behaviour and cognition using a custom-designed motorcycle simulation environment.
Finally, Professor Anina N Rich, from Macquarie University's School of Psychological Sciences, together with a grant-funded postdoctoral fellow, will draw on expertise in sensory and cognitive processing to support the cutting-edge project. In a laboratory environment, the team will use cognitive science measures of attention and cognitive load, such as response time, accuracy and eye movements, to optimise the delivery of information from the smart helmet to the rider.
Timeframe for this research and delivery of resulting technologies has not been set.
The Forcite Helmets MK1S is sold exclusively by the manufacturer and is not available in retail outlets. For more details, go to: www.forcitehelmets.com
