Motorcycles

CrossHelmet offers 360-degree vision, touch controls and noise canceling

View 5 Images
CrossHelmet: an advanced motorcycle lid with built-in 360-degree camera vision, noise cancelling and touch controls
CrossHelmet
A mock-up of the kind of information the heads-up display will show
CrossHelmet
CrossHelmet: large visor opening
CrossHelmet
Lots of face room is one of the key design goals
CrossHelmet
CrossHelmet: an advanced motorcycle lid with built-in 360-degree camera vision, noise cancelling and touch controls
CrossHelmet
It's quite a long helmet front to back, with all that vision, audio, camera and battery gear packed in
CrossHelmet
View gallery - 5 images

Another contender has popped up in the fledgeling HUD motorcycle helmet race, with a few funky features that separate it from the pack. Out of Tokyo, meet the CrossHelmet, with 360-degree vision, touch controls and active noise canceling. And its looks will probably turn a few heads, even if you won't have to while wearing it.

The 360-degree vision is provided by a rear-facing wide-angle camera built into the back of the lid, which displays the rider's rear view in the top center of their vision on a small projection screen. The angle is wide enough to nearly eliminate blind spots if you're prepared to turn your head a bit.

The screen also displays information like navigation prompts, time, battery level and compass headings – but, interestingly, not your GPS speed, which is one of the elements most of these lids consider mandatory.

A mock-up of the kind of information the heads-up display will show
CrossHelmet

Backing up the visual navigation system is a built-in Bluetooth audio interface, which will handle navigation prompts, as well as media, phone calls and bike-to-bike, bike-to-group or rider-to-passenger intercom capabilities.

Interestingly, the CrossHelmet team has also attempted an active noise canceling system as well, which is designed to filter out road, engine and wind noise while letting you hear everything else that's going on around you for better situational awareness. Levels are controllable and even look configurable to some degree.

The only other company we're aware of that's having a crack at noise canceling is Sena with its Momentum INC helmet, and we're very keen to see how well this kind of ear-saving tech works in practice.

The other nifty touch the CrossHelmet brings to the table is touch pad control. Instead of the usual array of buttons and knobs, there are chunky touch panels on the sides, which respond to taps, swipes and other motions to control media, volume and other functions when connected to an Apple or Android smartphone.

It's quite a long helmet front to back, with all that vision, audio, camera and battery gear packed in
CrossHelmet

Weirdly, it seems these touch panels are on both sides of the lid, so it looks like the designers expect you to take your right hand off your throttle/brake to use certain controls. And since the touch panels are capacitative, they won't work with any glove that doesn't drive a smartphone touchscreen.

It's also got an integrated safety light – basically LED strips built into the exterior shell for extra visibility – and the battery is said to last for six to eight hours, which is pretty impressive when running constant Bluetooth, noise canceling, GPS and an always-on rear view camera and display.

Weighing in at 1.78 kg (3.92 lb), it's no lightweight, but is still significantly lighter than something like Schuberth's C4, one of the only other lids you'll find with pre-built-in audio gear, so they're not doing terribly.

As for the looks, it's jet fighter all the way, particularly when you pop the tinted visor on. Care has been taken to offer plenty of room in front to prevent any claustrophobic feeling, and thus it ends up being pretty long front to back. The chin bar looks pretty thin, but I suppose it won't get to market unless it passes safety tests, and it sure seems to offer an impressive field of view.

The CrossHelmet campaigned successfully on Kickstarter and is now in production development with a pre-order price of US$1,599. Full retail will be US$1,799 and it's scheduled to ship in early 2019, although the many disappointments and resurrections of Skully have taught us not to be overly optimistic when it comes to HUD helmet timelines.

Check the CrossHelmet out in the video below.

Source: CrossHelmet

View gallery - 5 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
7 comments
Techtwit
Rear facing camera and rider to pillion comms........ What is the rider going to see from the camera when hauling a passenger? Just hope you are carrying somebody you love to look at. And what a silly price!!!
f8lee
Certainly this is something to watch (and hope doesn't fall down the Skully rabbit hole) but a few things come to mind:
1) will the communicator work with Sena, Cardo, U-Talk etc. or will it require that all my friends buy CrossTalk helmets?
2) does the HUD interfere with the rider's ability to put on or remove eyeglasses?
3) is there a built-in sun visor? If not then question 2 is all the more pertinent if one needs to remove or put on sunglasses
Critical Critic
Rear view camera picture needs to be flipped horizontally. It's showing what you would see if you turned your head 180degrees rather than what you would see in a rear view mirror. So (on the HUD) a car behind you to the right would actually be behind you to the left. Major safety issue there......
ljaques
Nice looking helmet with at least $25 or $30 worth of electronics in it. It's only $1,500-$1,700 overpriced. Nexxxxxt!
f8lee and Techtwit's comments are all valid, as well. Perhaps the rear camera should be mounted on the bike and Bluetoothed over, since it's always on anyway. And add the GPS speed, whydoncha? Can you adjust the sound canceling to null out the sound of the belt and cogs on electric motorcycles? If not, why not?
Gregory
Talk about confusing when riding The visual (front) is reversed from the rear view. So if you want to change lanes in front of that truck on your left rear. You need to do the right/left calculations and hope you were not distract by the on coming view
RobertElliot
And even if you don't really NEED a helmet like this the girl looks so cute wearing it. I'm sold.
possum1
Reevu helmets from UK had a similar system, no electricity used, just mirrors. Noise cancelling has my interest, especially as one sometimes has trouble seating those ear plugs to seal properly. Helmet safety tests usually involve a heavy object being dropped on the crown of the helmet ( where most crash damage does NOT happen ) and rarely if ever tests the chin piece. Interesting concept pricing its self out of the game.