Augmented Reality Helmet Is No Longer Science Fiction

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

Currently, GPS devices connected via Bluetooth are the most technological system motorcycle riders have to get directions and avoid getting lost. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with having directions spoken to you, what if you could recreate that childhood dream of being a fighter pilot and having the information you want displayed in front of you on your faceshield? All while riding your motorcycle. Russian company LiveMap is trying to make this a reality.

The solution, says LiveMap, is augmented reality. The company is currently designing a helmet to include this Google Glass-like tech on your next ride. A full-color, translucent picture is projected right on the visor, which LiveMap says is safe, provides unobstructed view, doesn’t distract attention and eliminates the need for a separate display

Two 3000 mAh batteries will keep the display operating for a long time, while integrated microphones and earphones will allow the rider to receive and deliver voice commands without taking hands off the bars. A light sensor will also be built in to adjust the brightness of the display for the conditions.

And if that isn’t cool enough, a G-sensor, gyroscope, and digital compass tracks head movement to adjust the picture according to the view direction. It’s definitely feasible to imagine this technology being feasible to track riders interested in realtime data acquisition, lap after lap.

As it stands, LiveMap will be developing its own proprietary operating system, instead of adapting an iOS or Android OS, mainly to prevent the rider from watching a video or any number of distracting visuals instead of focusing on the ride. View the video below to see how it works.

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LiveMap has launched a crowdsourcing campaign on IndieGoGo to raise the $150,000 needed to get this project off the ground and into production. The deadline to raise the funds is July 11 at 11:59 PDT. Go to the above links to donate.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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