Enhancing Motorcycle Safety through Augmented Reality: Design and Development of a Smart Helmet Prototype
Authors: Gerentes Georgios , Leonidis Asterios , Menelaos Stivaktakis Nikolaos , Korozi Maria , Stephanidis Constantine 
Published: November 2024

Motorcyclists, often regarded as some of the most vulnerable road users, encounter many hazards on the road, ranging from swiftly altering weather conditions to vehicles hiding in their blind spots. Traditional helmets provide physical protection but they lack the capability to enhance situational awareness. Recent advancements in motorcycle safety include the development of Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS), connected motorcycle technologies, and wearable technology such as smart helmets with embedded sensors. Augmented Reality (AR) Head-up Displays (HUDs) offer real-time information overlays for riders, while artificial intelligence is utilized to analyze rider behavior. This paper introduces a prototype helmet incorporating a pair of AR smart glasses in order to provide enhanced situational awareness and safety, as well as an improved overall riding experience through its comprehensive suite of features. The Smart Helmet aims to provide an immersive and intuitive interface for riders to access critical information without distractions, whereas by consolidating multiple functions into a single device, it offers convenience and efficiency, eliminating the need for riders to juggle multiple gadgets or systems while riding. Through its immersive interface, it overlays real-time information directly onto the rider's frontal visual field, including GPS navigation prompts, weather condition notifications, and visual alerts for vehicles in blind spots. In addition to visual information, the Smart Helmet employs voice commands to enable hands-free control of various functions, such as turning on the rear camera for enhanced rearward visibility, activating Advanced Driver Support System (ADAS) features, or transmitting important information in case of an emergency. Finally, through artificial intelligent the helmet can recognize obstacles ahead and issue timely visual and auditory warnings to prevent accidents. The incorporation of multiple modalities was considered an absolute necessity considering the application domain, which in turn offers a more natural and intuitive interaction paradigm.The design process of the Smart Helmet followed an iterative User-Centered Design (UCD) approach, beginning with an extensive literature review on smart helmets, AR technologies, and road safety applications. This review identified gaps and defined key system features. Interviews with motorcycle users and brainstorming sessions with interaction designers were conducted to gather insights and generate ideas. Subsequently, a prototype was created, featuring a common helmet in which various sensors were embedded and AR glasses were properly mounted, so as to evaluate and test the design concepts. Finally, a heuristic evaluation was performed to assess the prototype's interaction usability and identify areas for improvement, before proceeding with user testing.This paper presents a thorough analysis of related systems and a comprehensive literature review, laying the foundation for the design and development of the Smart Helmet. It elaborates on the iterative design process undertaken, detailing the conceptualization, user requirements gathering, and incorporation of feedback from experts. The functionality of the prototype is described in depth, highlighting its innovative features and how they address identified user needs and safety concerns. Finally, the findings of the heuristic evaluation conducted on the Smart Helmet prototype are discussed, providing insights into its usability, safety, and user experience.