Airbag Helmet Concept Developed By IIT-Roorkee Students

This helmet concept detects lean angle, acceleration and velocity of the bike and deploys within 100 milliseconds

It’s safe to say that Indian roads and traffic conditions are one of the worst in the world. From potholes the size of craters, unplanned and mostly unmarked roadworks, poorly lit areas to random unmarked speed breakers, our roads have it all. Most fatalities are due to head injuries and unlike other parts of the body, any injury to the brain is mostly irreversible. The skull, on impact, swells up like any other bone. But the swelling damages the brain and can cause permanent impairment. A good grade helmet could prevent this from happening although most people refrain from buying them as they are expensive, instead leaning towards purchasing cheap roadside helmets which retail between Rs 100 and Rs 300.

Fortunately, there could be an alternative as three students from IIT-Roorkee - Rajvardhan Singh, Sarang Nagwanshi and Mohit Siddha - have been working on an airbag helmet that is worn around the neck and inflates to protects your head in case of an impact. The students had this bright idea when they were working on inflatable space structures during their internship at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

In essence, the concept is a collar made out of kevlar and consists of multiple sensors which can detect lean angle, acceleration and the velocity of the bike. The information gathered by the sensors help it inflate in less than 100 milliseconds the moment it detects an impact. It forms a protective cushioning around the rider’s head, thereby preventing any major head injuries.

According to multiple tests conducted by the IIT-Roorkee team, the proposed airbag helmet reduced the force of impact by up to four times. While the concept of inflatable airbags on riding gear isn’t new, the ones available in the market can cost anywhere between $600 to $1,000, while the ones these folks are working on may cost between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000.

Don’t expect the concept to be production-ready anytime soon, though, as it’s still in the prototype stage and the students are still looking for potential investors and partners. That said, if the concept does become a reality, it could save thousands of lives at a fraction of the cost.