2010
New thin-film thermal imaging technology could revolutionise night time riding in the next couple of years
We've seen some interesting advances in motorcycle helmet technology in the last few years, with Superskin and Reevu designs making the humble lid safer and more practical.
Motorcycle safety technology in general (neck-mounted airbags anyone?) is moving ahead at an impressive pace and night vision could be the next feature we add to our motorcycle helmets.
Night vision technology has started working its way into top end cars, with various German prestige vehicles offering a form of night vision to improve safety and spot errant pedestrians or fauna. However most night vision technology requires large amounts of power to illuminate dark images, and the systems are usually fairly heavy as well, making them unsuitable for motorcyclists.
However a new thermal imaging technology that is super light, more efficient and essentially simpler in construction could change this.
Scientists at the University of Florida in the USA have come up with a new thin-film night vision technology that is light enough to potentially be fitted to the visor of a crash helmet. Still in the development stage, the thin-film optics could be available to punters in as little as two years time, and uses flat-screen TV technology and organic LEDs to provide an illuminated view.
The applications of this new technology are far-reaching, and the military will likely be one of the early adopters.
It is expected that devices using the new technology would weigh as little as 10 grams and could be only a few microns thick, which would suit a helmet visor or even goggles. The possibilities for night-time dirt biking through the bush are enticing...
As thermal imaging technology improves, we will start seeing more applications for motorists, which can only be a good thing for safety.
http://www.bikepoint.com.au/news/2010/a ... mets-19310
where the helmet has all these screens and imaging pop up,