Smart helmet designed to keep motorcyclists safe

Fund manager Atlas Advisors Australia and university investment fund Uniseed have jointly invested in Australian start-up Forcite, the producer of a smart helmet that has the power to reduce the number of motorcycle accidents and save lives.

Forcite’s smart helmet is designed to deliver road alerts and visual and audio turn-by-turn navigation without a phone, enabling riders to see or predict things before they happen to avoid danger. The patented peripheral display ‘RAYDAR’ senses everything from upcoming turns to road speeds and hazards, with a location radius of 25 km that is scanned every three seconds.

The product also automatically records dashcam footage of multiple lanes without distracting the rider. The recording function is automatic and has a wide field of view with night enhancement, tracking and backup. A handlebar controller meanwhile enables riders to accept or decline phone calls, repeat directions or control the camera.

Forcite can be assembled rapidly and weighs less than 1550 g, without the need for an externally mounted device. The Forcite mobile app meanwhile allows riders to listen to music, make calls, back up logs and footage, set up navigation and track, and access helmet content.

“Our smart helmets have a unique system that can give advanced alerts, much like K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, as well as communications and camera systems integrated into one complete unit,” said Forcite CEO Alfred Boyadgis.

“We are now developing on building human–machine interfaces with top motorcycle manufacturers, which we plan to exhibit at EICMA.”

The smart helmet is now being mass-produced, having successfully passed ECE 22.05 safety accreditation pre-testing. Atlas Advisors Australia and Uniseed participated in a post-sales funding round of $1.2 million to finalise production lines for a rollout of the product in Australia.

Forcite will be opening a Series A investment round later this year to scale up in European and United States markets, as well as conduct further research and development into in-bike computer vision and LiDAR systems that link with the helmet. Industry heavyweights such as Casey Potter, former head of brand for helmet giant Bell, will be joining to lead Forcite’s US operations.

Uniseed CEO Dr Peter Devine said investment in start-ups like Forcite is positioning Australia at the forefront of disruptive technological developments, including in industries like motoring.

“We are building the next generation of local companies that will go on to become regional and global market leaders, generating more employment and value opportunities for our nation,” Dr Devine said.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Karim Hesham

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