Japan's Secret HUD Motorcycle Helmet - Shoei Opticson Review
Vložit
- čas přidán 8. 09. 2023
- Check out the tiniest Insta360 camera here: frt9.co/rrd58g
Head up displays on motorcycle helmets have a poor track record. Can the Shoei Opticson buck the trend?
FortNine Neck Gaiters are back in stock (!!) - frt9.co/n0a3m0
Connect with us:
fortnine
fortnine
fortninecanada
Directed and Edited by Max Bailey - Auta a dopravní prostředky
As an electrical engineer whose worked around optics, it drives me insane that motorcycle HUD engineers are almost intentionally falling into the same exact pitfalls that the engineers who design fighter pilot helmet HUDs did.
Push the projections as close to the visor as possible, stick with simple graphical designs, ditch all colors but green for the bulk of the projections and red for color contrast, and utilize a high refresh rate. I'll be expecting a cheque in the mail, Shoei.
Shoei needs to be taught KISS: keep it simple, stupid!
They also need to be taught how to kiss with their infamous declining population, but in 2023, every Western nation is also drastically low in birth rates.
Anyways, Happy riding!! 🏍️
If there's a very limited number of signals, you don't even need a HUD proper. You can get away with colored lights in the periphery.
Are you referring to Legacy or 5th Gen?
As a VR dev, I see the same thing once in a while (or with how bad the UI for infotainment screens is). There's not enough interdisciplinary communication in stuff like this.
As long as Shoei is working on protecting us from an autonomous hands free Telsa from killing us at a stop light, go for it !
It'll be fixed, have some faith
I never understood the point of self-driving cars, like if you don't want to drive a car why not use public transportation instead? Save you money on fuel, car insurance, and repairs :D
@JustAnUmbreon Unfortunately there are a lot of people out there who spit in the face of public transit, claiming it's not reliable, slow, for poor people, doesn't go door to door, can't pick up groceries, and doesn't go where I want, while also going on the offensive claiming it's against their freedom to use transit rather than their cars
Autonomous hands free is redundant.
Definitely looks like a prototype rather than a finished product. The lens thing looks super flimsy and the external battery seems really awkward (although I get that you wouldn’t want the extra weight in your helmet - they need to make it more power efficient). I can see uses for a HUD, but it seems they’re still some time away from being mainstream
I can’t help but feel like you’d loose an eye in a wreck with that thing. Just scoop it right out lol.
Given the explosive history of lithium batteries, ill take an external i can quickly throw out of my pocket over something helmet mounted. Maybe the solid state batteries Toyota has developed can fix this issue.
Mainstream? Some 20 to 30 years
The Navdy for cars had a similar issue, the first hardware component to fail was the lens, and following the vendor's bankruptcy it's basically impossible to get replacements short of buying an entire unit from those who still have one.
@marxula555 I want you to think about the sheer number of lithium batteries you encounter on a daily basis. If they were exploding left and right, everyone in a developed country would have scars. That's a ridiculous thing to worry about.
It seems to me that this would make more sense to be built into the windshield. Camera manufacturers have optical image stabilization down to a science and lasers can beam the light to where it goes with high efficiency.
I think the biggest issue with this would be keeping the windshield clean enough. That's easy in a car, since it's mostly self-contained in the cockpit... but motorcycles spend the whole ride exposed to dust, moisture, and grime.
the windshield still ain't in your normal line of sight if you aren't on a cruiser or a touriong bike with a super tall windscreen
@Ano NymI *think* they meant the helmet's clear lens; but that's still not optimal.
@squidlybytes but it does make more sense to use a integral part of the helmet than a separate piece of plastic only for projecting the image on.
Just have the lasers scan the image onto your retina.
High Efficiency 100%!
This helmet actually looks pretty cool. Give it a few years, and I may even buy one
so frickin cool
Aircraft HUD s are pretty neat. I hope they can make them left eye dominant as well. Or center them.
@robert a goerss a projector that displays text and symbols onto an embedded filament in the visor and "mode" rgb led lights in the corners to provide subconcious warnings when identifying text or symbols takes too long to be efficient and this makes sense... green white yellow orange and red have all kinds of meanings but flashing red could mean collision risk and solid red being stop engine... pair the lights with sounds like beeps and flat tones and then you have added all the idiot features a modern semi dash has to a motorcycle.
@Scott DPugnificent you are describing something too complicated. If you are a rider, how often do you rely upon a tach to shift, vs not, ditto the speedometer , but for staying legal? For some of us, we began riding horses and later took up motorcycles, and the idea of keeping those overlapping similar experiences throughout our lives is very important. That doesn't preclude 750 sport bikes or 600's which Rev to the moon, I love speed, and so yes a tach and other things are important, but the more there is the more there is to fail. And around the world motorbikes are first about practically, and second about what many NA 's focus on, ie. the riding experience, features, gadgetry and so forth. When I ride deep down inside I hope to capture the magic of feeling as though I am galloping across a field on Midnight, a stallion, riding bareback, and we are accelerating up a field like he'll to a treeline more than a third of a mile distant. That's a luxury lived
@robert a goerss I was thinking that maybe they could use a HUD visor in lieu of a flip-down visor, like the ones seen in modular helmets that are typically shaded. Then it might have the ability to switch sides, could be worn with the visor up (for airflow), would likely be more stable, closer to the face and could be turned off easily if a rider found it too distracting at certain points of a trip.
That podcast line got me. Excellent work as always, Sir. And should you find yourself in Utah, I have quite a few engined toys with your name on it.
ED! I'm starstruck. Let's set something up eh? ~RF9
Awesome!!!
Watch as we see history in the making.
Just keep the entire discussion to the comments section of this video.
@FortNine Oh dear, oh dear! That will end in tea…
…That will be epic! 😁
I like where this is headed
The helmet itself looks phenomenal, well done routing and access ports and their superb liners. My RF1400 has been an utter dream, love it
Been torn between that or the top scorpion that got high marks a couple years ago. my rf-sr from shoei a bit long in the tooth after 5 years/25/k miles. or maybe just be visor and pads
Great point about the 5 year life of a helmet, an issue that is often overlooked when shopping for bluetooth sets and helmet cams!
Yup. Especially if it‘s integrated in the helmet like on one of Shoei‘s models…
The insta360 was brand new when I first stated looking for helmet friendly cameras and I thought it had a lot of potential. I’m glad it is improving and doing well enough for a sponsor here
And it's such a perfect sponsor for these videos - the actual cameras they use, getting footage probably not possible any other way, naturally demonstrating their capabilities. They'd be using these cameras even without sponsorship, my guess is they did so then reached out to the manufacturer suggesting sponsorships as the videos were already excellent demonstrations of their capability. Plus I feel like FortNine wouldn't endorse products they don't believe in, these they certainly do.
I’ve had my 2 Shoei’s since I started riding 10 years ago. Many other helmets have come and gone but they are so damn comfortable I’ve kept them all this time.
Aren’t helmets supposed to be replaced every couple of years because the foam hardens over time?
@gpaull2 Depends on who you ask. If its someone who profits from selling helmets you shouldnt use a helmet for over a year or 2 (depending of materials used) and replace it after bumping it slightly. But if it REALLY matters is still very vague to me. I doubt the plastic getting a tiny tiny bit more hard is going to make a noticeable difference.
@gpaull2 that’s a risk I’m willing to take over buying a new $700 helmet every couple of years. I really doubt a helmet would “degrade” to the point of not protecting your head.
That's what got me 8 years ago. It was a Shoei X12 for +$600which my wife said to me idgaf what it cost because your aren't riding anymore without one and I'm not going anywhere else with you looking. The X12 was the 43rd helmet I had tried on and immediately I knew it was the one. The runner up was the rf1200 which is another great helmet!
@gpaull2 past a certain point old helmet or not they all become brain buckets.
I talked with the guys at Damon about this a while back (one founder was in the snowboarding helmet HUD industry), and their take was that visual clutter actually creates more issues for the rider, lengthier reaction times etc. Hence their tactile bar warnings etc. Obviously there's the fighter pilot analogy, but fighter pilot training costs $5-10M.
Good point, although I don't think this HUD appeared to clutter the information. Very basic. Actually I don't he covered in detail what information it can actually display, is navigation from Google Maps or an app that Shoei developed? Is the speed from GPS or from the motorcycle via bluetooth?
Great analysis there - evaluating the design and it's future. What impresses me most though is the sponsor bit - while I've seen some entertaining and sometimes relevant sponsor plugs, this one was probably the best yet, making it into a mini behind-the-scenes of the video itself and showing how the cameras were used in this production, making the entire video into a demonstration of their capability that probably wouldn't be possible any other way. Every bit of it aside from the specific mention of them being a sponsor and the code to use would have been a meaningful contribution to the video even if it wasn't a sponsor. The good fortune to be sponsored by the maker of the products used in creative and worth-mentioning ways for making the video itself.
The glasses seem way more practical to me. I have a hard time seeing with my mirrors when they are vibrating too hard. I couldn't imagine putting blurry information right in front of my face. I hope the glasses come out soon. It would be nice to have blind spot monitoring in heavy traffic.
As a rider who wears prescription glasses so I can see the road/traffic, I can't see how I could wear 2 pairs so I'm guessing this tech will be out of my reach forever.
@noid919 Theres a start up that's working prescription lenses into their work, so no actually
Image stabilization is a thing. Even auto focus could be implemented. The concepts have already been proven and the market already has them in their products. I think the issue just needs time to iron out the faults to an affordable level.
That being all the math necessary for manufacturing. A high grade, one-off, prototype is easy. Fit for production is not.
I don't know if it's ever been said yet but you're literally the best person for this job. Like for example I can't see anyone else ever presenting top gear as well as Jeremy Richard and James. I think everyone shares the same feelings about top gear, same here you are top-notch bro.
I currently have the Forcite MK1S, best heads up helmet currently available that ive found.
Simple optics which are on your outer field of vision plus a camera and some pretty damn good speakers too.
F9 has already reviewed it too.
“You’re being followed by an Albertan”. Love how Ryan likes to Canadianize his vids!
But how does he know ? Alberta doesn't have front license plates
Ouch! (in Albertan)
@Matthew EtMoi I guess the assumption is Albertan drivers may be the second most common on BC roads, so if a car is lacking a front plate (and thus not from BC, Manitoba, Ont, NFL) it is likely to be Albertan?
Anybody can be a bad driver, it takes an Albertan to add the a**hole to the mix.
So being an Albertan I was at first feeling a little offended; then I realised that, actually living here (and surrounded by other Albertans), he's not all that far off the mark...
This the main reason I wanted Google Glass to be a success. Having a status display that is portable is the way to go. I could take it from track days to street riding to AVD without worrying about it. Seeing Shoie getting into the mix is nice but I agree the lid is a prototype of things to come. The glasses solution combined with a helmet that has a break light on it would be ideal. I presently added on of the addon ones to my lid after noticing another rider with it while I was in the car. He was on a small custom sportbike with tiny break and turn lights. That thing made a huge difference in letting me see him.
The helmet brake light is a brilliant idea - problem is you either have to have a wire flapping about and plug/unplug, or wireless links and batteries to charge, nothing I felt was suitable on my budget and use case. Will probably soon get a tail-bag I can mount higher lights on, I've also thought a sort of whip antenna, maybe 12-18" long with a light on top would help. My bike, a mini-cruiser of sorts, has a really low-mounted tail light that I figure is way below the line of sight of all these SUVs and pickups everyone drives these days.
Dude, your videos need to be shown to the masses !!!!! I just wish they lasted longer ! Smooth talk, smooth script, fantastic camera work, a true work of art. Keep up the good work 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
A simple wide view rear mounted camera in the back of the helmet projected on your visor would be awesome. same principle as rearview mirrors only better, and would pan with a slight head turn.
Bicyclists have been doing this for a while with small helmet-mounted mirrors. Not super popular, I don't know how well they really work. I bought one but never used it on a bicycle, I tried mounting it on a hat and using it while swing dancing so I don't back into other people, it didn't work at all for that - no depth perception and far too narrow a field of view (my friends thought it was hilarious though, an attempt to solve a problem we all have). Probably works somewhat better for its intended purpose, but would be much better if it were convex to provide a better field of view.
The connect ride glasses were what I would have wanted out of the google glass. I wouldnt want to wear something like that all day but the idea of having a hud connected to my bikes dash would be awesome. Imagine never having to look down, every. Just always know the revs, speed, status...
The helmet isn't bad if they made a left-sided one, since I'm left-eye dominant. Otherwise, AR/HUD glasses would be an utter game changer if I could get them to talk to my bike, my car, and my phone, and they could stand the 16+ hours a day I wear regular glasses. And put up with the abuse those take, and have the HUD bits changed between glasses which get changed every year.
Oh, geepers, I didn't think of that! My astigmatism would make it all blurry on that side.
Once upon a time, I tested the infamous SKULLY helmet. The experience was superb, with an integrated image projector low on the chin gard. I don't know how they manage to make it sharp at such short distance, but it was very good. The ONLY USEFUL FONCTION was the 180° rear camera. Forget everything else. This is the next big thing : enlarging your narrowed field without even the need to wring your neck.
I can't believe they took a phenomenal idea and didn't put it into production.
I've been interested in the eyelight. It's a hud with a small projector which can be installed in any helmet I believe.
I'd say HUD helmets can have a place for riders who wear glasses. I think prescription glasses with HUD capabilities are quite far away and (if even possible) are going to be ridiculously expensive.
Prescription lenses shouldn't be expensive, they just are.
I wonder if having the HUD in a push-down visor like ones in modular helmets (usually shaded visors in those types of helmets) would be a better design. Much more anchored in, closer to the face, and still easily switched off if one finds the HUD too distracting.
Good catch on nosiness! Tell SHOEI they should try adding tiny gyroscopic sensor, that way they can turn the basic hologram into augmented reality helmet - the main screen will be pined while looking towards the movement direction. When someone looks on the side it will cause the display to fade away or change the content
Or in a more basic case, image stabilization so it doesn't buffet all around and be hard to see. This is presumably a work in progress with a lot of shortcomings to address, hence the very limited sales. That's probably why they don't want many to use or even know about them yet (much less a video like this being made), they know it's not very good yet and don't want people to write off the concept based on what they have now. I think a lot of other things have fallen into that trap, new concepts rushed to market too quickly while they pretty much sucked, everyone realized they sucked, and weren't interested when better, more refined versions came along. This is presumably what they were trying to avoid ... until that meddling Ryan foiled them!
Never have I stopped to wish that my helmet has "more stuff" on it.
I love the weight reduction that came along with carbon fiber helmets.
For me, it depends on the bike. My current one is a V-Strom, and I probably wouldn't get much use out of a HUD because everything is right in front of me on the dash. However, my previous bikes were dual-sports, and I usually had to crane my neck down because the bike was very short end-to-end and I sat high up on it. Might be more useful on those types of motorcycles.
Excellent review as always, with logic and proper arguments. Great work
Dont forget the funnies!!!
Back in the early 2000s I came across a fellow Honda 919 rider who had made a fairing from an airplane nosecone and had developed a heads up display in his helmet that projected it directly on his visor.
sure you did
@Dusty Old Hat What reason do I have to lie!? The guy was an engineer at Lockheed Martin. He probably knew a thing or two...
Cool! I have a 919 as well, could use more wind protection! also HUD stuff is pretty basic in cars, LCD display reflected on piece of plastic, they had them in cars in the 80's that worked fine, should be easy enough to do with helmet, useful in 919, well I"m going 40kph and I"ll just twist the throttle lightly at 4000rpm and 2 seconds later I'm going 120kph, weeeeeee!
@Dusty Old HatJust because you lack the skills to make something, doesn't mean someone else doesn't.
If it’s just to give you basic, but critical information, I feel like a row of coloured LEDs in the chinbar would suffice, which match the indicators on the dash. Green signals on either side, blue high beam, a row of red to alert for imminent doom, for example.
I currently ride 3 different style bikes & have 3 helmets to match the bikes. I would much rather use my current set up of an expensive action camera & Bluetooth headset that I can move between helmets rather than 3 expensive helmets with the tech already built in. Once HUD technology matures, I'd opt for the glasses over the integrated helmet too. At least then I can upgrade the camera without having to throw away a perfectly good Bluetooth headset, HUD & helmet at the same time.
I can't be bothered to look up the name, bit I still think the system that uses a couple of RGB LEDs on the breath deflector or top/bottom edge of the visor seal make more sense for the purposes Shoei seems to be focused on. Having a standard communication protocol where any bike display can communicate with any helmet UI would be awesome, then you can just have a simple 3-5 segment bar at the top or bottom of the FOV and use that for blinkers, warnings, indicators, and even navigation (which is what the product you covered earlier does IIRC) Rather than trying to have a full HUD, it just acts as a notification icon for the main display, so you don't have to be checking it constantly.
Likewise incorporate into this standard communications protocol a signal for a helmet-mounted brake light, possibly turn signals as well. Such things exist, using a transmitter module incorporated into the bike's wiring harness, but they're kind of pricey.
Sometimes the most valuable information is why you wouldn't want what you think you might want. Well done, as usual.
Custom molded in ears do a lot of this for you. They give hearing protection as well as quality audio and the option to add a mic if you really want/need to. I do run it to a cable to my device as it sounds better and doesn't need charging. This covers off directions/music/comms. Showing what you dont know is a nice option but whether that lives in the helmet or the bike console/projection is an interesting space to watch. If you aren't looking up to see a collision you are pretty much stuffed anyways. Something coming from the rear could be cool
For immediate warnings the helmet probably makes more sense. Directions and "Your Ducati is about to drain your bank account" make sense to be on the console as you don't need to see it instantaneously or you can look down at it when needed, but "You're about to be thrown into the passenger seat of a car registered in Alberta" is something that needs to be in your field of view right away. Cars that have HUDs are right in the driver's line of sight, even the main dashboard is much closer, while on a lot of motorcycles one must look well below their normal line of sight to look at their console, and windshields (on bikes that have them) are commonly well below the rider's sight-line as well, deflecting air up over them but the rider not actually looking through it. On my GZ250 (mini cruiser), before I put the windshield on there was no part of the bike in my normal field of view, even blocked by my helmet so I have to tip my head to look down at it (I literally couldn't tell you how many times I've forgotten the turn signal as I have no idea), so it felt like I was just flying along down the freeway. Now have a windshield on that bike, can see it in my normal field of view but never look through it, it could be opaque and wouldn't cause me any trouble. Thus the only thing I'm consistently looking at or through is my helmet visor.
Another possibility I could see is an audio warning, that might be easier to implement and more useful. Basically to artificially be able to hear something coming up behind you. A pedestrian or possibly bicyclist would likely hear a car coming up behind them and react accordingly, I found hearing was a big part of the situational awareness while riding one and never felt comfortable with earbuds in. But a motorcyclist, with the noise of their bike, wind noise, other ambient noise, and usually wearing hearing protection for these reasons, plus the helmet on its own, and modern cars often being reasonably quiet (even gasoline cars), you'd not hear a car bearing down on you. I could see a surround-sound system (would need more than two speakers) that uses active noise reduction to quiet things overall, but artificially generate directional noises to warn of things like fast-approaching cars, feeling to the rider like they're hearing it naturally. Would have to be linked to the helmet's orientation, so say if you're head is turned to the left a car coming up behind would be in the left ear, while if looking ahead it would be from behind. I've thought it might be interesting to do the same with a communication device, so when you're talking to another motorcyclist you can hear the direction and approximate distance of them, useful for having a sense of where they are in relation to you, or when in a larger group hearing it from the direction they're in. Producing something that feels akin to people talking to each other while riding bicycles, but easier to hear than that.
Yours are some of the best content I have found on CZcams I would watch them even if I wasn't into motorcycles. I am sort of Canada adjacent, laughed at the Albertan jab even though I didn't actually get it. Now if you said Newfie I might understand, but then we have Jersey drivers few of whom know how to make a left turn, and those from North Carolina who all drive like some iteration of the Dale Earnhardt clan without possession of any of the necessary driving skills. So there's that......... Have a great day and thanks.
Good one. Not sure what to think of the helmet. Shoei could magnetize that big external battery and attach it to the back of the helmet. Interesting Go3-gonna check into that
You sir are one of few (if not ONLY) who shoutout sponsors that have practical every day use products. Thank you for another awesome video.
That would drive me absolutely insanely crazy especially in poor weather, I'd get into an accident.
i think motorcycles huds would be great if they had full phone mirroring and eyetracking with controls on the handlebars
you guys are crushing it! you are informative and hilarious simultaneously with witty writing and fantastic editing!
They could have solved this problem easier by just making a sound when a rider needs to pay attention to the dashboard.
It works for passenger airplanes :)
For that matter, something that plays a clicking noise when the turn signal is on. I think that's one of the most common things for motorcyclists to forget, as unlike in a car there's no aural indication it's on, and on many bikes you can't see the indicator light unless you dip your head to look down at it. Have had many times I'm riding along, look down to check my speed, see the turn signal light, and think "Oops, how long as that been on?" Perhaps a system that has helmet-mounted turn signals and brake lights, and makes a subtle click sound to the rider each time the light turns on and off.
The Skully helmet was one of my worst early-adopter moves! Both the product and the company shenanigans. I'm not sure this is all that much better, and won't be taking point on this line of innovation again, but glad somebody's still trying.
Quality content as always. The coolest tech in this video is the GO 3 camera! For all the other features, audio alerts will be just fine (unless you are actually going deaf 聴覚障害者).
Just watched the HUD's are a scam video earlier 😂
It seems like they could solve/improve the visibility of the HUD by including 2 features, a black background for the light(admittedly this does cause a tiny blindspot), and the ability to adjust the lense on atleast 2 axis so you can control where it falls in your field of vision.
Great video. Actually worked as a prototype engineer on v3 of this way back. It was only time this technology would be implemented. Not long before it's feasible without any extendable elements.
Cool. What's missing from the version of extendable elements, microLED?
Also, the video say the virtual image appears to be focused at a distance of 10m in front of him, but if the distance between the combiner and the micro-display is only 10-15cm how can the reflected image be that far ahead? There was another HUD, eyeride, that also claimed very long virtual distances but when I got to experience it myself the virtual distance was at most 0.5m requiring the rider to shift focus from far to close and back to the road again.
As someone who absolutely LOVES wearables, and was thuroughly upset by the Google Glass, I'm excited for the future and really hope someone gets this tech right. I LOVE it.
Are they not illegal where you're from? In the UK laws were quickly changed before the google glasses even came out to make it an offense to drive/ride with anything like this.
@Terry Nixon as far as I'm aware, no. Would make sense though, especially if Alphabet didn't want to lose out on the UK market entirely. Maybe they could add in some driving detection that prevents them from working while driving? Idk
Hi, nice video. This Shoe is not better than the French EyeRide that I used for some time. For some time because it's dead as it is so fragile (and too expensive to repair) and complex to use. Finally, I just enjoy a Cardo intercom. Simple but works as it should.
I do actually have a go 3 and use it. Honestly its so good, you can mount it to your helmet and not even feel it. Good battery life and never overheated on me like a gopro. Highly recommend
The sunglasses version is a much better choice. Or they could build it into the shield (that would be a true HUD). That dopey lens that comes down would only be good if they came with an RC aimed machine gun.
I bet they are concerned some outsider will cut their eye with it. I would Love to see a head up display on a helmet preferably on the face shield. some level of motion sensor for stability would be a huge bonus.
So I've seen you mention the Katana a few times in your videos. Once recently with the very inspired Sur Ron review and another time in the Indian FTR review. I wasn't around when things like that are popular and was hoping you'd make a video on it some time to tell us gen-Z folks what the deal is. Also, I recently picked up a K1200R and I've been loving it, but there seems to be shamefully little appreciation for really any of the inline-4 BMW offerings.
"Your Ducati is about to explode." 😆😂 Worth it for that one line alone. 👍
I regret the presence of that line - coffee out of the nose wasn't fun!
Ducatis barely even explode anymore, they lost some of the je ne sais quois they had when they were actively trying to kill you. Still love them.
Bro putting in crazy overtime and effort for his fans. Great videos
I'd welcome a working HUD. When I glance down to look at my Garmin Zumo or cellphone, etc it's a bit blurry (side effect of wearing vision correction glasses. And/or sunshine renders the screen useless. So, a nice clear HUD would be welcome.
Fantastic Shoei! Innovation begins with wild ideas and baby steps.
Interesting. Glasses seem a better approach but the battery is an issue for sure. Prevention of a crash is worth the effort. I enjoy all the safety alerts on my Tesla. Many work behind the scenes 24/7 with no fatigue
Ryan! You and your film crew are awesome keep up the great work.
Why does it need to be a HUD? This is new tech. Treat it as such.
Turn signals didn't used to mean anything, neither did brake lights. We had an indication of intention problem, so we created created a solution.
Add LEDs to the topmost portion of the view in the helmet.
Yellow flashing on the right, right turn signal.
Yellow flashing on the left, left turn signal.
Etc.
Don't create a complicated solution for something that hasn't been defined yet and can be solved simply.
yes, motorcycle riders allready have more than enough to concentrate on in order to stay alive, without another unnecessary distraction.
@Mark Smallman Like everything on the dash you have to look down to see? Now there are times it may be better to ignore those things, but clearly the ideal is to move the necessary somewhere you don't have to look away from the road to see. It's literally a HEADS UP display!
That said, clearly they're not there yet, but you don't get there by not trying...
I see a lot of comments about adding lights to the eyeport section of the helmet, like the Forcite helmet, but when you are navigating and there are two or more exits to the side or a roundabout how do you know which one to take? If lights are going to simply alert you to turn left or right, I don't see how they can offer much more than vocal directions played via bluetooth on your helmet. Vocal directions also tell you at what distance and street name to turn at, which is helpful.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall when a marketing rep at shoei heard that not only did a westerner get their hands on that helmet, but a relatively well known figure in the world of motorcycles. Granted I probably wouldn't understand much of the expletives, but it oughta be interesting.
Being Shoei their development department would already be making improvements to this design, it's the Japanese way
I absolutely would want an HUD in a motorcycle visor, or in a car. At night I turn all my dash lights completely off but it still pisses me off that i can still see the reflection of the high-beam indicator light in my windshield, so i tape over the light.
Those glasses would be useful in specifically hang gliding monitoring VSI, airspeed, Relative wind, stall warning.
That would be brilliant - an activity where that would be really useful but doesn't have an elegant way of mounting anything in the pilot's field of view. Could see it being useful for other sports, perhaps skiing and snowboarding, but would really be more a gimmick rather than potentially lifesaving in that context. Much bigger market though. I could even see it for airplane pilots as well, even though they have the instrument panel and it's possible to mount HUDs in airplanes, most airplanes don't have HUDs, the glasses someone could bring with them in whatever plane they fly, with gyroscopes could even serve as "synthetic vision," be able to see things like the runway, terrain, or other aircraft that aren't actually visible due to weather. While that could be incorporated into an airplane, a portable system would be great - in spite of aircraft having built-in navigation most pilots bring their phones or iPads with them to show charts and navigation stuff, this would be an extension of that. Or for that matter people do so in cars.
Nice commentary. By the time this little gem reaches our market - it will be more expensive than a Royal-Enfield-bullet but, within budget for new-bike BMW owners. Shoei might develop using a half-flip down internal visor, it may prove more stable. 😺
Funnily enough I was in my local BMW dealer just the other day. Whilst waiting for my bike to be returned after a recall I was perusing all the over priced offerings, one of which was the Connected Ride Glasses. the box really didn't give away much as far as functionality goes but did proudly sport a sticker with the price of £750! I moved on.
i didn't know the Connected Ride Glasses were available. Is that BMW dealer in the US or in Europe?
Why dont we develop tech that makes a 4 wheeler inoperable while a phone is being fiddled with. Thats!!! WHAT WE REALLY NEED
Or any wheeler. I'm sick of delivery riders not paying attention to their surroundings, both pedal and petrol powered. I see more near misses with them than anything else on the road.
@Adam Carmichaelcount my vote for the ‘any wheeler’ version. Les in UK
I want an autonomous driving motorcycle so I can play video games while riding the superslab. I’ll let my self-driving bike text that self-driving Tesla, “Please don’t kill me today, tyvm.”
@Leslie Austin dont need autonomous driving. Tech already exists in the professional realm. Mandatory driver facing cameras! Hard break, swerve, speeding gets automatically sent for review. Now consequences span from classes, insurance hikes and even license suspension. Amateurs should have this mandated too
@Rich VanGorder not sure why you’re ‘replying’ to me. I don’t want so-called “autonomous driving” on anything. People should look where they’re going and know what they’re doing, or surrender their licence and call a taxi. And all phones should be turned off when inside a car or on any vehicle. ANY vehicle. Les
Great review as always. I just bout an insta360 one RS twin. Love those 360 views. Fits on my chin and for 360 on top of my helmet. Dont forget the invisible selfie stick too for thise drone looking shots.
Having an HUD in my helmet is my dream since I was a child. Their RnD should work on an HUD that appears without the extra lens, just use the main visor.
The helmet needs a thin solar pannel built into the top, to provide extra power to brighten the HUD when it is needed the most (in full sun), without the extra weight of bigger batteries, just like firearm optics have.
I'd rather see a HUD projector that would put the info on my Goldwing's windshield. This would eliminate the various complaints of the helmet-mounted HUD.
Try the Australian made Forcite helmet. I have one and it works well. It has a peripheral HUD based on a light bar. It comes with Harmon Kardon Bluetooth and camera built in chin area.
I guess this is gonna be another banger video about a flop product. F9 always delivers. ♥️
It's not a flop if they're not even selling it. Watch the video
It is a shame though, I like the look of the display being integrated into the helmet much better than just some glasses. Even though it's lower tech it feels more futuristic. Like all those 80's sci fi films.
Awesome video. Answered all my questions as I thought of them and then went beyond. Top job. Cheers!
Merci pour la recherche et décortiquer la chose. I didn't quite understand why you thought that those helmets were gimmicky. AR glasses looks like a good plan in the long run with better batteries.
The last couple cars I drove with a HUD projected on the windshield my polarized sunglasses messed with being able to see it. Would suck for glasses wearers if this tech for the helmet has the same issue.
I'm really skeptical of glasses being the right choice. I wear glasses and it's really annoying to take them off and put them on with the helmet. Works ok with open face helmets but for longer rides I use in-eye lenses to get rid of the problem.
I agree with you, actually anything that adds extra steps before you ride starts becoming another nuisance, turn on the bluetooth, turn on the head phone, wait for phone to pair to both.... I had a bluetooth where I had to press continuously for 5 seconds to turn it on or off, most of the times I didn't do it because of that, especially if I was in a hurry. Did you buy a product for the in-eye lenses?
All I know is that you shouldn't let this distract you from the fact that in 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them....maybe you can hire The A-Team.
😂
Already obsolete early adopter technology is always fascinating. I would like to know more about Shoei's restrictive sales policy; why?
Brand management. You've already made a lemon, so let the people who really want it have it, but prevent it from negatively impacting the perception of your brand with the wider public.
Because it's essentially a prototype. They don't want to deal with the PR backlash of selling this off as a finished product, and they don't want to deal with the inevitable massive customer support traffic that such an early stage technology would create.
I used the SportVue SP1 until the helmet it was mounted to was forcibly retired. Despite its many shortcomings, I really liked the function it provided: a clearly legible, red speedometer. It also ran on just 2AA batteries. I would have liked the tachometer if it had been implemented better. In my opinion, nothing else is urgent enough to justify cluttering the field of view.
The same crash that discontinued my use of the SportVue also pushed the visor in over the chin bar. There is no way that I personally would choose to ride with the image combiner poised to scoop out a chunk of my face. This should have been a waveguide like the BMW glasses but mounted on something like an internal sunshade. So you can still wear your prescription lenses.
Edit to add: I love my RF-1400. I feel like this product doesn't live up to the Shoei name. Whatever committee is responsible for forcing this to happen should be ashamed. I feel bad for the engineers who got sucked into it.
I wonder what it would be like using an Apple VR like pass through visor with cameras on the outside where your eyes are and even on the back and you see the road and surroundings on the screen with passthrough and HUD on the screen.
The 5 year life span of a helmet is an issue, but if they were to make it something that you add on to a purpose built helmet like HJC's SMART helmets and the matching Sena, it could work
I think the glasses are the best option; but I find myself asking if we are looking at a world where you have to buy the motorcycle and compatible gear. Today it is a helmet that is compatible with the bike to give us that immediate information interface. Will I need a compatible shirt for my next bike? Tech boots? A part of me is really excited to see what comes but another part of me is worried that these technologies will become legislated or "standard options" killing light dual sport and adventure bikes. Already I find my F650GS too heavy for tight trails, if it had to have another 50kg added to accommodate tech features... I'm not sure I could ride it off road.
This is true.
Rush is relative to risk.
The Kawasaki 2 stroke triples aren't that fast, but I rode them when they were new and fast.
I can visualise a new young type of rider minimalist who carries nothing but a map, an old nokia, and a stove
Never clicked so fast in me loife
Fo’ fooks soik, me neitha
Interesting. I have a car with horrible blindspots, so bought a mirror that does Blindspot and collision warning. But I hated how it looked so mounted it inside my glovebox. Just the different audio tones for left and right blindspot are enough for me. Same would work on the bike.
I reckon sound based (possibly together with vibrations) could do a better job for extra alarms functions. In fact I already prototyped a blinker warning signal... as this is sometime I need most.
We all have comms anyway.
An audio alarm would probably be more effective and more broadly useful than whatever that HUD thing is. You'd just need to make sure people understand what it is and it doesn't sound like something that might happen in whatever music someone might be listening to.
you could buy thos as add ons 30 years ago, although they were a big box, and BMW had them on their bikes in the 80s I think, but they had to disconnect them a the sound was the same as the safe crossing signal on a pedestrian crossing,leading to a few surprises
The pocket battery isn't unusual, considering winter riders have needed something like that for a long time.
Great video, definitely has me excited for the future of ride tech
Something tells me RF9 may now have been placed on Shoei helmet's "no buy list". And could not radar collision warnings be made audible?
by the time you hear the warning its too late, mark 1 one eyeball and use of brain is a better bet, I was in traffic, kept looking behind me, noticed a big fat suv coming up a bit fast, and let the clutch out and went for the kerb ( median) SUV arse ended the car in front of me, SUV driver drunk as a skunk, not a mark on my bike, , she just scraped by the pannier, technology cannot compensate for experience and awareness
It is for driving *GUNDAMS*
Thank you for keeping us in touch with a the latest technology and saving us the trouble of wasting our money! All with entertainment and witticism! Best motorcycle channel on CZcams.
My biggest gripe with modern displays, besides analog needles being way cooler, is that they call for to much attention. Makes the thing flash red for stuff i need to really see and there's no need for HUDs
They gotta start from something & get the feedback from alive people.
Flip-androids are still awkward but with every iteration they have a progress to become less awkward & expensive.
And Sena/Shoei headset also became the perfect SRL-2 not from the beginning.
I just want to know when they will do an awareness mode like headphones/earbuds do so you can actually hear sirens… and other people’s exhaust!
Who remembers Google Glass?
I do. I remember passing an accident scene where one car driver ran another car off the road. The lady that was still on the road, sitting in her car, was wearing Google Glass.
A built in unobtrusive helmet cam would be nice, but the HUD is better suited to being in the form of a pair of glasses that can also be used without a helmet for other info on the go.
Pure genius to actually get your hands on one of these helmets. Sounds like the effort cost more than 10 helmets! Great vid but I'm not sold on the idea that HUd's help prevent accidents. In fact, more brain processing power is required to comprehend such info which detracts from other more important riding awareness. Even more so for inexperienced riders. Yes, aids for hearing. But once you start interfering with vision, you're upping the safety risk IMO.
Yes, the wearable HUD makes far, far more sense then the helmet mounted HUD. Now, if they can design a helmet mounted HUD that can readily be moved from helmet to helmet and has image stabilization and has a smaller battery…
Not many people mention the image stabilization in (previous) helmet HUDs. I am not sure how he filmed the footage showing how the HUD is viewed, I doubt he could fit a camera inside his helmet while actually riding. Is image blurring really a problem or an artifact of how he filmed that footage?
HUD glasses are fun unless you are already wearing prescription glasses. I think some kind of extra screen will find its' way to helmets sooner or later, maybe in place of sun visor to make it more stable.
If it is mounted to the helmet, it isn't stable. Even normal glasses can vibrate too much just from contact at the temples.
I have heard of a helmet that exists with having a rear view camera with a mirror that goes from the top of your head to the back. So you just have to look up slightly to see behind you. I wish I knew who made it cause it sounds better than all these with technology.
Reevu Helmet. It only offers rear view, no alerts or navigation and there are some issues with that helmet too, such as very thin/small view and you still have the vibration blurr, when the head shakes the rear view image shakes too. But still a good idea, I wonder why it didn't catch on.
Savage review Ryan. Excellent video as always.
I imagine the body acts as a natural damper for the glasses method. Common sense says that plastic arm is a nightmare and a face shield would work better. I'd be interested in the difference in distant large graphics and close small graphics motion blur. You know larger graphics at distance will have less vibration blur(everything else equal). But let's see the proof. Distance may also mean more vibration.