Jarvish Inc. (Taipei, Taiwan) has launched two new motorcycle helmets. The model X helmet includes an assortment of smart and connected features that are not uncommon in this class of product.
Also included in the model X is a built in 2K front camera, a speaker and a microphone. The more interesting product introduced by the company is the model X-AR motorcycle helmet. The X-AR helmet includes all of the features of the model X with the addition of a monocular Head Up Display (HUD) and a 2K backup camera.
The HUD combiner is inside the face shield of the X-AR helmet positioned in front of the rider’s left eye. It retracts in response to a voice command. One of the capabilities of the HUD is to present media controls. In addition, the HUD can display imagery from both the rear and the front cameras. The cameras provide the rider with a 360º view of the surroundings without the distraction of having to take their eyes off the road.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity is included, which allows the X-AR helmet to pair with either an iOS or an Android smartphone. This, in turn, gives the rider the ability to make and receive telephone calls, listen to music and display information. The types of information that can be presented include time, weather, chance of rain or snow, media, telephone caller information, a compass, GPS navigation cues, current speed and the speed limit for the local area.
A video containing a discussion of the X-AR helmet can be found at the end of this article. The photo below and to the left is the Jarvis X-AR helmet. The figure below and to the right is an example of the information that can be presented on the HUD.
Left: the Jarvis X-AR helmet. Right: Example of the information that can be presented on the HUD.
To make the use of HUD related features more convenient for the rider, support for voice control has been built into the helmet. This capability also enables convenient rider access to smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri or Google Assistant. Such smart assistant access allows the rider to use the built in microphone and speakers to operate features such as the rear facing camera, adjust the HUD or request and control music.
The helmet has 16GB of built in memory storage. This storage could be used, for example, for offline media, maps or video recording. The size of the storage can be expanded up to 256GB with the inclusion of a memory card.
Other features of the X-AR helmet include:
- The exterior shell is made out of carbon fiber.
- Vents on the top of the head and on the chin provide air circulation.
- The face shield is described as anti-fog, anti-scratch and anti-glare.
- Noise reduction technology is included in the helmet to reduce road noise and improve two way audio communication.
- Given a full charge, the battery can support helmet operation for about four hours.
The X-AR helmet is certified for CE R22.05 (Europe), DOT (U.S. and Canada), CNS 2396, CNS 13438, CNS 13439 (Asia) and FCC (electronic radiation safety certifications).
The X-AR helmet is expected to go on sale sometime in early in 2019. A price has not yet been announced, but seems likely to start at a, hefty for a motorcycle helmet, price of greater than $1,000. The company web site states that riders that might be interested in purchasing an X-AR helmet should “sign up now to access the launch day limited deal of up to 35% off.” -Arthur Berman
