Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Singapore start-up launches crowdfunding for safer ‘smart’ helmets

SINGAPORE — A Singapore start-up with ambitions of making the roads a little safer for motorcyclists is a step closer to achieving its goal. The firm has come up with an invention that converts a biker’s favourite helmet into a "smart" one.

Clockwise from top left: The team from Whyre, comprising its chief executive officer Tan Yishu, chief financial officer Lim Qun, chief technical officer (software) Muhammad Hafiz, chief technical officer (hardware) Dylan Tan and chief business development officer Glen Ong.

Clockwise from top left: The team from Whyre, comprising its chief executive officer Tan Yishu, chief financial officer Lim Qun, chief technical officer (software) Muhammad Hafiz, chief technical officer (hardware) Dylan Tan and chief business development officer Glen Ong.

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

SINGAPORE — A Singapore start-up with ambitions of making the roads a little safer for motorcyclists is a step closer to achieving its goal. The firm has come up with an invention that converts a biker’s favourite helmet into a "smart" one.

On Tuesday (July 23), Whyre announced that it had launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for its wide-angle, augmented reality (AR) attachment that fits on existing helmets, called Argon Transform.

It is a two-piece device which is attached externally to the front and back of a rider’s helmet. 

A five-megapixel wide-angle camera attached to the rear projects a live 170-degree rear-view vision of the road onto a thumb-sized eyepiece, to help the rider to keep track of his blind spots.

That eyepiece — attached on the front of the helmet around the user’s peripheral vision — can also display a plethora of information, including GPS-enabled maps.

This negates the need for a rider to look at his mobile phone mounted on the front of the bike for navigation purposes, thus allowing him to focus his attention on the road.

The firm now has a  campaign page, where motorcyclists who are keen to give this piece of technology a try may register their interest, and prices range between S$543 and S$815.

Interested buyers who miss out on the campaign will have to wait for the device to hit the shelves, where it is expected to retail for around S$1,090.

Whyre’s chief business development officer Glen Ong told TODAY that if all goes according to plan, backers of the campaign will get their devices by February next year. “If things move swiftly, we could even see it by December or January,” the 26-year-old said.

Argon Transform is a two-piece device which is attached externally to the front and back of a rider’s helmet. Photo: Whyre

Other products on the market provide a similar display unit for riders, but Mr Ong said that those are full helmet solutions and are non-transferable.

“This means riders cannot change the helmet after two years because all that tech cannot be taken out,” he said.

A GPS-enabled map as seen using the Argon Transform. Image: Whyre

WHAT’S NEW?

Since the  team spoke to TODAY last October, its members have been hard at work gathering suggestions from people at bike shows and technology trade fairs such as the Consumer Electronics Show.

“The riding enthusiasts (who approached us) gave us a lot of feedback, such as the design of the item and the features that they need,” Mr Ong said.

They have taken up suggestions to shrink the device. “We have made the front piece significantly smaller by about 25 per cent,” Mr Ong said. It is also sleeker and lighter.

Backers of the campaign will receive a device that weighs in at 300g, compared with the previous prototype’s 400g.

The battery life has been improved. Riders may now expect about eight hours of continuous usage, as opposed to the previous five hours.

Software has also been updated, Mr Ong said.

An important criterion, he was told, was for users to retrieve video footage seamlessly.

At present, it is inconvenient for riders who have mounted cameras onto their motorcycles to retrieve the memory card, because the storage unit is typically stored under the seat, which requires them to unlock it and lift up the seat.

Instead of this, Argon Transform lets riders transfer the required video footage wirelessly at a rate of 30 to 40 megabytes per second.

Other features include an integrated audio system that allows the rider to either listen to music or answer phone calls on the go, and the device can be easily controlled by a switch affixed to the handlebar.

There is also a private intercom channel for riders to communicate with their riding companions up to distances of 100m away.

Mr Ong said the team hopes to include a social media function in a future software update, which will allow riders to share their touring routes, along with videos and photographs.

CONFIDENT OF DEMAND

Whyre has until Aug 22 to raise S$34,008, and has so far met more than 30 per cent of its goal. Once the target has been met, Mr Ong said that the firm will proceed with “channelling the numbers” to a manufacturer here.

While Mr Ong is confident that there is enough demand for Argon Transform, he said that Whyre will source for alternative ways to fund the manufacturing of the product if it does not hit the target.

“Indiegogo is mainly a marketing tool to springboard us into the tech scene and help get us known.”

He added: “It will be a shame if we don’t end up manufacturing it, because people are just waiting for the actual product to come out.”

Related topics

safety motorcycle helmet

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.