Although there are now plenty of options for mounting your smartphone on your bike or scooter's handlebars, accessing the functions of that phone while riding can still be a fiddly business. Sweden's LIVI Technology has set out to make things more user-friendly, with its GObyLIVI system.
GObyLIVI consists of three parts: the handlebar-mounted GOMINI module, the wireless GOHEADSET, and the retro-style GOHELMET.
The GOMINI communicates with your tucked-away phone via Bluetooth. Using its haptic-feedback dot-matrix touchscreen display, you can do things like make and place calls, advance through music playlists, receive turn-by-turn navigational cues, or get other notifications. One charge of its lithium-ion battery should be good for about six hours of use.
Of course if your phone is in a bag or pocket, you'll need a way of hearing those calls or music. That's where the Bluetooth GOHEADSET comes in. Its flattened design allows it to be worn under a helmet, which it's fastened to the inside of via a double-sided adhesive pad.
While the headset will work with existing third-party helmets, the GOHELMET is specifically designed to accommodate it via built-in slots on the inside.
And actually, there is a fourth component to the system – the free iOS/Android GObyLIVI app. Working with the headset and the GOMINI, it does things like tracking your ride, providing you with alerts on road conditions and traffic, alerting you if you're exceeding the local speed limit, or sending out an emergency notification if the phone's sensors detect that you've crashed.
GObyLIVI is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, with pledges starting at SEK 590 (about US$68) for a GOMINI. If the system reaches production, delivery is expected to begin in September.
Source: Kickstarter