Market: The companies BRG Sports – parent company of BELL, Giro and Blackburn, among others – and 360fly – specialists for 360° cameras – presented the results of their collaboration at the CES in Las Vegas. There was a new version of the BELL Super 2R all-mountain helmet to marvel at, which is bursting with technology.
On a tour of the halls at CES, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a bike helmet would probably be one of the products you would least expect there. Unless the helmet has a 360° with 4K resolution, the possibility of data exchange via Bluetooth or WiFi, GPS and the possibility of being able to control all of this via a specially developed app on a smartphone. This is all the case with the BELL Super 2R, presented at the Customer Electronics Show, with an integrated 360° 4K camera.
Externally, the BELL Super 2R with 360fly camera hardly differs from the already well-known all-mountain helmet, which bears the same name and serves as the basis for the model presented in Las Vegas: apart from a small increase under which the lens is hidden, it fits the camera seamlessly into the silhouette of the helmet. The removable chin guard was retained, which means that the helmet still has a very wide range of uses. The camera also has a wide range of uses, because although it is firmly integrated into the helmet shell, it can be removed and thus also used for applications away from the bike.
One advantage of 360° video technology is that the viewer is no longer just a consumer, but is now able to actively influence the film material. Depending on the playback device used, it is possible to freely select the perspective in all directions using the mouse or touchscreen. For the producer, this means that all perspectives can be covered with one sequence. Both amateur and advanced filmmakers are also supplied with various tools with the BELL Super 2R 360fly, including a real-time 360° HD live streaming option and the option of automatically merging the most action-packed scenes into a one- to two-minute highlight reel. And the 360° camera should also bring immediate advantages for the protection of the biker on the trail: That's how it is with the Collision Avoidance Alert a feature is planned in which the camera scans the surroundings for obstacles and warns the driver of potential sources of danger that lie outside his natural field of vision.
According to BRG Sports, the helmet is currently in an extensive test phase in which all features have to prove their suitability for everyday use. Information regarding a launch date or retail price is not available at this time. However, the individual prices of the BELL Super 2R and the 360fly camera could provide a clue: the helmet is currently changing hands for around €200, the camera is available for around €500.
We are also curious to see whether other helmet manufacturers will start integrating cameras into their models and how the resulting technical possibilities can be used to increase safety on the bike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8eFQ2Sf7Nw