DCA Design’s Optic Augmented Reality Cyclist Helmet
This year’s Red Dot “Best of the Best” mobility concept award winner
Snap judgments play a heavy role in the world of cycling. And now, Warwickshire, UK—based agency DCA Design has a proposal to give cyclists even more necessary information to make decisions quickly and safely. Their proposal for Optic, the winner of this year’s Red Dot “Best of the Best” concept award in the mobility category, integrates a drop-down visor into a bike helmet. More than a shield for the eyes, the visor integrates information from front and rear cameras offering up a 360-degree view to the user. There’s also additional navigation tools and journey statistics. Altogether, making it unlike any other helmet (or bike utensil) presently on the market today.
Delving into the features, most notable (beyond the drop-down optical display) is the rear camera which captures a full 180 degree vantage. This minimizes cyclists’ largest blind stop all-the-while allowing eyes to be affixed to the road ahead. While there are other road mapping items for bike riders, this is the only to sport augmented reality GPS navigation in conjunction with a front camera and proximity sensors. Obstacles are laid out before riders while the bigger picture map remains easily accessible. There are also plenty of cycling statistic tools out there right now, but none that integrate distance, speed and heart rate into such an extensive road monitoring system. Further, flash memory data storage and a BlueTooth card allow all information to be recorded—either for analysis or reviewing any potential incidents that happened along the way.
DCA Design’s motivation was combating the 22,000 cyclist casualties in England every year. In providing information in a way that avoids distraction, riders become equipped to handle the more treacherous instances of urban cycling. And while the concept certainly makes its case regarding safety and functionality, the design itself comes across as streamlined and attractive. This is definitely a product we hope comes to market one day and perhaps with the recent affirmation from Red Dot this will be foreseeable.
Images courtesy of DCA Design
