Bell and Giro must be really tired of fumbling with 3rd party cameras attached to their helmets. They’re developing new bicycle helmets that will integrate 360º 4K ultra hi-def video recording using 360fly’s stitchless capture.
The 360fly debuted to action sports fans in November, sporting an ultra wide field of view and accelerometer based lens aiming. Alongside the camera cam an app that lets you view and control the playback to see the angle you want, panning around a full 360º through the action.
“The implications and possibilities of integrating video technology within helmets are profound,” said Terry Lee, Executive Chairman & CEO, BRG Sports. “360fly’s stitchless, single-lens camera combined with the immediacy of its mobile technology, is a game changer for the personal video space. We believe this has the potential to advance the industry into an entirely new realm.”
And while capturing your sweet downhill run is one thing, it’s the safety applications that might be most impressive…
Several brands have introduced video-capturing head and tail lights for bikes, automatically looping and saving the critical seconds before and after an impact to provide evidence of motorists’ misbehavior. But those only capture part of the scene, and not always the license plate if they speed on by. Imagine seeing all the way around to show the full story of an accident and the benefits to roadies and commuters is instantly apparent.
And 360fly CEO Peter Adderton says there’s even more it can do:
“Because our lens is seeing virtually everything in all directions, it allows us to develop and build in additional features that allow the helmet to literally communicate, delivering valuable information regarding the surrounding environment, navigation and other types of data relevant to the rider. Ultimately, the helmets will be much like today’s mobile devices, allowing users to enjoy incremental benefits and features through software updates.”
Full features and specs for the new helmets won’t be announced until CES in January, but it’s likely they’ll have versions for bike and snow sports, covering a range of use cases for cyclists (MTB, Road, Commuter, etc.). In the meantime, check the video above for an example of what the standalone camera can do.
And if you want to check out the ability to drag the video’s POV, they’ve got some demo videos here. Even better, they’ll be filming the Dew Tour this weekend (Dec. 10-13) in Colorado. Just go to DewTour.com once the action starts and you’ll be able to interact with live and recorded videos.
Just want the camera? Retail is $399 and we’ll have one in for review soon enough.
