The dawn of the invisible bicycle helmet
BY READERS DIGEST
1st Jan 2015 Technology
When Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin decided to create an invisible cycle helmet, they were told that it was an impossible task; that they would fail. This didn't discourage them—quite the opposite, in fact. What they came up with is going to revolutionise bicycle safety forever.
An Invisible Helmet? That's Impossible!
This woman is wearing a bicycle helmet
Roads in the UK have come under scrutiny in recent years as the popularity of cycling is on the increase, yet the roads are devastatingly under equipped and dangerous. Our helmets are not good enough when it comes to road accidents, and furthermore people are reluctant to wear them because they are simply not fashionable.
When we asked people what they’d ideally like the bicycle helmet
of tomorrow to look like, we got responses like these:“Like a cool hat with a built-in helmet.”
“Something small that you can fold up and put in your pocket.”
“Something that lets you change what it looks like,
like you can with mobile phone skins or wigs.”
“Invisible.”
Sticking by their guns and proving that nothing is impossible, two Swedish women, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, have indeed created a revolution in bicycle safety. How do we cope with the rise in popularity of cycling when placed next to those two factors? We need an alternative solution that is both reliable and won't ruin our look. Unbelievably, the two images on this page depict cyclists wearing helmets. Yes, they are absolutely invisible. Watch this video and find out how these two women—collectively known as Hövding—achieved the impossible (and are on the verge of becoming extremely rich!)
In Their own words:
"Hövding started out in 2005 as a master’s thesis by the two founders Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, who, at the time, were studying Industrial Design at the University of Lund.
The idea of developing a new type of cycle helmet was a response to the introduction of a law on mandatory helmet use for children up to the age of 15 in Sweden, which triggered a debate on whether cycle helmets should be mandatory for adults too. Anna and Terese saw their master’s thesis as an opportunity to find out whether it would be possible to develop a cycle helmet that people would be happy to wear – whether they had to or not.
TThe project resulted in the concept of an airbag helmet, which won Innovationsbron’s Ideas Grant. This kick-started the process of developing Hövding into a real product. In 2006 Hövding won the Venture Cup, after which Hövding Sweden AB was founded.
Today Hövding consists of 17 people, each with their own unique expertise, different backgrounds and personalities, inspired by each other and working closely together. We all see the impossible as a trigger and curiousity as a virtue."
Keep up with the top stories from Reader's Digest by subscribing to our weekly newsletter
