Photo credits: motherboard.vice.com
In the hustle and bustle amidst Pakistan, only three per cent of households own cars and a huge 43 per cent own motorcycles due to the fact that cars are relatively expensive whereas motorcycles are much more affordable. Despite that, accident tolls in Pakistan continue to increase more often than never. This is because only 10 per cent of those who ride motorcycles wear helmets, according to the Pew Research Centre.
Road accidents and motorcycle sales have both seen a rise in the past decade and there is now a helmet that can reduce this phenomenon. Waqas Khalil, Ali Syed, Syed Abdullah and Awais Azhar at Let’s Innovate has come up with a new helmet known as HELLI with an aim to reduce road accidents from motorcycles. If a rider falls off the bike, the helmet will automatically notify emergency services nearby using the GPS installed. It is also equipped with a Bluetooth, speakers, a heart rate sensor which measures the heartbeat from the head via a blood oxygen sensor, and a dashcam on the front of the helmet. Not to mention, it is built to withstand Pakistan’s monsoon rain.
Photo credits: motherboard.vice.com
“If you fall off the bike, it sends a text message to your next of kin and calls an ambulance,” said Khalil.
Instead of relying on mobile data, it calls the number saved in the app via Bluetooth.
“We build anonymous data points. We will be able to see how people drive on different roads in Pakistan, high congestion areas and which roads are particularly dangerous,” said Khalil.
“We plan to use different parameters such as speed, location, and points of navigation to analyze driver data,” explained Syed.
Photo credits: Pakistan Defences
“I believe making people care about safety is going to be our biggest challenge. Right now, most helmets in Pakistan are filled with sand. No safety standards are followed,” said Syed.
Despite the challenges faced, there is no doubt that this helmet will be making a drastic change to the motorcycling society. The aim of reducing accidents would be achieved alongside enhancing safety.