Most bike helmets don’t do much but look goofy and stop the inside of your head from spilling all over the street.
But the folks at a Seattle startup wanted to do more for your noggin, so they made a helmet that can play music, give directions, take calls and collect data about your ride.
Those functions are a nice upgrade, but the coolest part of the Coros LINX Smart Cycling Helmet is that it uses bone conduction to transmit sounds and vibrations to its wearer’s inner ear via a pair of discs that reside on their cheekbones, leaving the ears uncovered and able to listen to the outside world.
The Bluetooth-connected helmet — which is meant to help bicyclists who ride while listening to music do so a little more safely — connects with your smartphone and a miniature, handlebar-mounted remote to relay data, music and calls. It can also send an emergency alert after a crash.
“It’s nice because you can actually jump on a conference call while you’re riding into work, and another while you’re riding home,” Coros CEO Chuck Frizelle told Fast Company.
The LINX is available for preorder on Kickstarter for $100 ($200 MSRP) and starts shipping this fall.
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