'Smart' helmet to warn about imminent crash

London, Jan 7: A 'smart' helmet that can spot an imminent crash and allow cyclists to avoid collision with a vehicle has been developed. The prototype helmet, created by Swedish auto giant Volvo also warns a vehicle when it gets too close to a cyclist.

The helmet lets cyclists know if they are in a vehicle's blind spot so they can take action to avoid a collision.

It works with smartphone fitness monitoring apps that track the location and speed of a cyclist, BBC News reported. The information is shared with any vehicles nearby that are equipped with the firm's City Safety system.

This alerts drivers to the presence of a cyclist even if the rider is in a blind spot or when visibility is poor. The system calculates potential trajectories of both bicycle and car and warns when a collision is imminent.

It can also take control of a car to apply brakes if it gets too close to a cyclist. Drivers are alerted through the car's head-up display and the rider is warned via a light mounted on the helmet.

PTI