Bike airbags are nothing new. Now you can find them in everything from standalone vests to adventure jackets to bespoke leathers.
In early November, Italian company Airoh unveiled a striking prototype motorcycle helmet incorporating the explosive safety technology.
We have always focused on safety since the company was founded 25 years ago," said CEO and founder Antonio Locatelli. "This obsession led to the development of the integrated airbag helmet."
Eicma 2022: Airoh airbag helmet
Autoliv has been developing safety products for 70 years, previously developing airbag vests and inflatable solutions for motorcycle fronts.
Autoliv products are said to have saved 35,000 lives in 2021.
Mikael Bratt, President and CEO of Autoliv, said: "We need a holistic approach to reduce rider injuries and fatalities.".
The combination of our insights into crash data, biomechanics, and injury assessment tools with Airoh's expertise will enhance head protection and save lives."
During her studies at Sheffield Hallam University, Roberta Descrovi studied the idea of airbag integration in helmets.
Multiple virtual crash simulations were used to produce both structural and biomechanical evaluations of the lid in an impact.
Physical impact testing followed in 2020 to help improve design, airbag coverage, pressure, and volume.
During an accident, the bag is electronically deployed from the crown of the helmet surrounding the central air vents, providing greater energy absorption away from the rider's head.
It is deployed using an integrated gas generator similar to what you find in your car's dashboard, with small sections of the outer shell designed to open and move, allowing inflation.
It is Airoh's mission to achieve this without sacrificing the external features riders expect from a modern helmet, while also meeting the latest ECE22.06 safety standards.
It is estimated that the probability of serious injury due to a skull fracture is reduced by half - from 60% to 30%, however no speed of impact information is provided.
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