BMW presents a bike helmet with head-up display

While high-end cars have had it for a few years now, these days even normal cars have this handy safety feature – head-up display.  BMW was the first European car maker to introduce a head-up display as optional equipment on its cars, while cars like the BMW M5 and BMW M6 had head-up display as standard.

Head-up display for bikes

But what about head-up display bikes?  A bike rider would benefit a lot from seeing vehicle information projected in one’s line of sight, without having to look down at the instrument cluster to view/read information.  A fraction of a second or brief distraction can put a rider into a dangerous situation, very quickly.

BMW Motorrad has just shown a concept helmet with head-up display.  Rather than projecting on to the windscreen or a retractable see-through panel (screen) above the dashboard as in a car, a motorcycle of course does not have a big windscreen or panel… BMW came up with the ingenious solution of having a smaller visor mounted inside the helmet, behind the usual helmet wind visor.

Helmets have become more high-tech, with items like Bluetooth integration, allowing a rider to communicate via mobile phone while riding.

The BMW helmet with head-up display projects necessary traffic or vehicle information directly in the rider’s field of view, allowing him/her to maintain observation of the road ahead, without distraction.

All displayed items are programmable to the rider’s desired information, including road speed (speedometer), current speed limit, road sign recognition, technical status such as bike tyre pressure, fuel and oil level, selected gear, plus warnings of impending dangers.  Plans are to include navigation.

Other interesting possibilities include a front camera mounted inside the helmet to record footage of a journey, and a another camera mounted in the back of the helmet which could act as a digital rear-view mirror, projecting the rear view onto the head-up display.

BMW wants to develop this innovative technology to series-production, and it would be designed to integrate into an existing helmet, without detracting from helmet wearer comfort or safety.