A French company is set to produce an emergency brake light that sits on the back of a helmet and also senses a crash, alerting emergency services with your medical details.
Cosmo Connected spokesperson Ilinca Spita says the device will be available from $U149 or SUS$249 in carbon finish through the Cosmo Connected website and Amazon Launchpad from October 17, 2017.
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The Cosmo is 13.9cm long, 5.1cm wide and protrudes 4.3cm from the helmet which may be deemed an “illegal modification” by Victorian Police who have previously fined riders with helmet cameras.
However, Ilinca tells us there is no modification required.
“In a nutshell, it is attached to the back of the helmet at eye level, it’s light (150g) and perfectly fits with the its shape and curves,” Ilinca says.
“It can be attached to any helmet thanks to its magnetic support, for bikes as well as motorcycles.”
On impact, the magnetic device will safely dislodge, leaving behind the base plate which is stuck to the helmet by double-sided tape. The Cosmo device can be moved from helmet to helmet, such as when a pillion hops on the back.
Cosmo Connected says the brake light starts to illuminate its 12 LEDs even when the rider slows down, thanks to an accelerometer in the device.
It would be a good safety alert to attract the attention of motorists following closely behind.
And it is important that it illuminates on deceleration, not just brake application, as many riders use gears to slow rather than brakes.
You can also set the LEDs to flash to act as a hazard light in low-light conditions, such as fog or when stopped by the side of the road.
There have been other helmets and aftermarket devices that feature brake lights such as the Edison and Brake Free, but this is the first that also incorporates a crash alert.
It works via Bluetooth connection to your phone and a special app.
Accelerometer and gyroscope sensors will detect if the rider has fallen and the app will contact selected emergency services via SMS and email and up to three friends or relatives and provide your relevant medical information such as allergies, medications, etc.
If you happen to drop your helmet, you can simply cancel the alert when emergency services rings to verify if they are needed.
Cosmo Connected is powered by a lithium polymer battery with an eight-hour battery life in light mode, and charges via a mini USB port. Battery level charge is visible on the app.
Cosmo Connected has raised €1.5 million through top-tier investors and a crowd funding campaign to go into production.
It will come in shiny or satin black and white, matte black, silver or carbon.
Cosmo Connected
- Price: $149 ($249 carbon)
- Size: 139mm x 43.5mm x 51.6mm
- Weight: 150g
- Components: Accelerometer/Gyroscope; Lithium Accumulator; Bluetooth Module; 24 LED lights
- Material: Polycarbonate, methyl Polymethacrylate