A helmet might provide protection to the head in the event of an accident, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the wearer won’t be knocked unconscious or otherwise incapacitated. The ICEdot Crash Sensor pairs to a smartphone to automatically send a call for help, complete with GPS coordinates, when an accident is detected. The system also provides first responders with the accident victim’s medical information.
Unlike the similar VITAband that uses RFID technology, the ICEdot system consists of a slim sensor that can be mounted onto a helmet and pairs to a smartphone via Bluetooth low energy (BLE). When the sensor detects forces consistent with an accident, the smartphone app gives the user 30 seconds to shut down a countdown clock. If this timer is not canceled, the app will then send out a notification to all the user’s nominated emergency contacts, complete with GPS coordinates.
This level of separation between the app and emergency services, which lets a person's emergency contacts make the decision on whether the emergency services are required or not, prevents non-life-threatening impacts, such as dropping the helmet, from wasting the authorities’ time.
Not just for cyclists, the ICEdot Crash Sensor is aimed at snowboarders, skiers, mountain-bikers, or really anyone participating in risky activities that might take them off the beaten track.
The ICEdot Crash Sensor and accompanying app is expected to cost around US$200 when it is launched next year. The system also requires an annual subscription fee of $10 and is endorsed by the American Ambulance Association.
Source: ICEdot via GearJunkie
Much of the UK is the same and it is down to government allowing telephone companies to "cherry pick" profitable areas with no obligation to cover the whole country. They do this as a bribe so that government can then charge a fortune for the operator licences. 3g licences cost the companies US$30 billion in the UK, so no money left for rural coverage.
To those who like the product: Wanted to let you know that you can pre-order a sensor over at: http://indiegogo.com/icedot
There's even a cool video where you can see it in action.
To those who aren't quite sold on it: It may not keep you from being in a crash, but it just might save your life. It does more than just tell you how much shock your helmet took. It pairs with the ICEdot emergency service to notify your loved ones (via text, phone, and/or email).
It is also actually more than an accelerometer - it includes multiple accelerometers and gyroscopes and allows for better measurements and much smarter crash detection than a smartphone alone would allow. While you could use the accelerometer in a smartphone to measure sudden changes in speed, it would result in too many false positives to be useful.