How to Make a Bicycle Helmet Reminder - YOU Can Do Something to Save Your Child from Bicycle Injuries!

How to Make a Bicycle Helmet Reminder, Similar to a Vehicle Seat Belt Reminder

YOU Can Do Something to Save Your Child from Bicycle Injuries!

How many articles have you seen written on the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet, especially for children? Most of these articles offer few successful solutions. Usually, the solutions offered consist of parents reminding their children to wear helmets. 

How about having a "Bicycle Helmet Reminder", similar to the "Seatbelt Reminder" in an automobile?

 

I was surprised when I looked on the Internet. There does not seem to be such a device on the market. Therefore, I wrote this article to stimulate innovation and/or discussion to make such a device. 

Will you be the first to invent this? Consider all the lives or injuries you could save with your new device. 

It seems to me certain key elements would be necessary in such a system:

• Something would sense when the bicycle is being ridden, in motion, or someone is on the bicycle seat.
• Something would sense whether the rider is wearing a helmet or not.
• Something like a buzzer would alert when the bicycle is being ridden without a helmet.

I thought of various scenarios and came up with the combination below:

• A Pressure Sensor could be inside the helmet to detect when the helmet is being worn.
• A Pressure Sensor could be on the bicycle seat to detect when someone is on the bicycle.

These Pressure Sensors could be "Wireless", maybe RFID, and could communicate to a Central Control Module on the bike or helmet. An inexpensive open-source microprocessor, like Arduino, could be used in the Central Module. This module would make a sound, like a Seatbelt Buzzer, when the bike was being ridden without the rider wearing a helmet. The module could be solar powered to eliminate batteries. Of course, all the components would need to be weatherproof. 

There could be multiple pressure sensors within the helmet to detect proper positioning of the helmet on the rider's head. Maybe there could be one buzzer tone for "riding without a helmet" and another buzzer tone for "helmet improperly positioned". 

This cannot be so far-fetched since I did find some articles and/or patents that describe "helmet reminders". 

What I found were pieces of the above concept. Perhaps you could use the above concept, previous concepts, or devise a much better way of doing this. 

Here are some possible Action Steps, if you think this is a good idea:

• If you are handy, make such a device. Previous designs are listed below, from which you could derive some ideas. If you are not handy, find someone to make this, e.g. engineering student, free lance inventor, etc. Maybe they have some better ideas on how to do this.
• If you are a parent, you can "lobby" to have this device made. Some places to "lobby" would be local bike shops, manufacturers, government officials, etc.
• Children's hospitals can also "lobby" to have such a device made.
• If you are a student, consider this as a Science Fair Project.
• If you are an engineering student, wouldn't this be a good project to put on your future employment resume?
• As a manufacturer, you could make a new and improved Bicycle Helmet Reminder.

Takeaways:

• A "Bicycle Helmet Reminder" could save lives and injuries.
• If such a device is not available, YOU can take action steps to "make it happen".

For more information:

• Put this helmet on, else bike won't start
• Smart Helmet using Arduino Microprocessor
• RFID Motivates Schoolkids to Bike It
• Helmet with an alarm - US 5697099
• Various patents by Roger W. Lehmann et al. involving "Motion Sensitive Reminders" - one application is for bicycle helmets.
• Motion sensitive bicycle alarm - US 4980667
• Personal safety system for a vehicle - US 7973652
• Vehicle helmet warning system - US 5294914
• Electronics Project Idea: Helmet Reminder
• RFID buckle closure and presence sensor system for safety childseat - US 20070096891

Disclaimer - Article is for information only and is not medical or legal advice.