Micromobility: Behold--A Revolutionary Bike Helmet

Innovation from Overseas

I don’t ride a bicycle much these days, but when I do—or take a trip on a scooter or moped—I always wear a helmet. It’s required, and it’s stupid not to, considering the risk.

Newton-Rider out Copenhagen, Denmark has a futuristic take on the bike helmet. — **Honey, they shrunk the helmet**

The problem is, most of the polystyrene helmets you can buy aren’t very comfortable—and I’m not even sure they’re that effective. They take up a lot of space and are a pain to carry around, so you may not have it with you when you need to jump on a scooter. Now, Newton-Rider out of Copenhagen, Denmark has a futuristic take on the bike helmet.

For starters, this new helmet is thin—only 16mm thick, versus 30-35 mm for a typical current helmet. While traditional helmets are hard, this one is semi-soft, so it configures comfortably to your head, and you can fold it up and stash it in a coat pocket or backpack easily.

Besides its semi-soft construction, the new helmet features a unique pad concept together with an elastic and flexible liner that adjusts to a wide range of adult head sizes and shapes. An advantage you may not have thought of: Because it’s soft, the helmet can be reused after a crash.

As a nod to the future and the internet of things (IoT), the helmet contains a chip. It can connect with apps used by scooter providers, who can then create incentives for riders to use a helmet.

The Team Behind the Helmet

The three-person team that’s developing the helmet includes:

Ulrik Jensen, CEO and concept designer
Daniel Bunger, Dipl.Ing.- bio and nano technologies
Wil Marschall, industrial designer

Ulrik, Danien and Wil wanted a stylish design, and it certainly is, although I think the helmet makes your head resemble a white or black basketball. Whatever it looks like, the ability to have it with you when you step off the train for the last mile of your commute may be its best feature.

The futuristic helmet complies with the European EN 1078 and U.S CPSC standards, and there are plans for both a European and U.S. introduction. There’s an IndieGoGo campaign that just went live. Give them your email address to stay informed.

At this point, pricing and availability are unknown, but with increasing demand for micromobility during the COVID-19 restrictions and in the future, it is an idea worth pursuing. Watch the video below for a close-up look.