Heads Up Display Contest

Being an avid motorcyclist and instructor, I've always been interested in technology that can help keep us safer on the roads. Of particular interest has been the recent boom in helmet technology. I've heard people already saying that adding this technology will be more distracting to the rider. But, like anything, if it's used properly, it will actually make the rider safer.

Skully first caught my attention with their helmet. There's probably some debate on whether they were the first "smart" helmet or not. They've probably been the most vocal and most successful in getting their helmet recognized and to market. They've combined some neat technology, like 180° rear view, navigation and voice commands.

Next on my radar was Fusar. I was pretty excited about their technology and actually got close to being a beta tester with them. Follow up discussions said they had issues with the company they hired to assist with their beta program and it didn't go as they expected. In the end, they approached the "smart" helmet a little differently. They're giving you an action camera with some additional, cool features; like navigation, communications and an emergency response system. I really like the idea of the emergency response system because, when it detects a crash, will alert emergency responders as well as your loved ones.

Others that have gotten a little attention from me include NUVIZ, BikeHUD and LiveMap. All add their own twist on helmet technology and attempts to make the rider safer.

The latest to throw their hat into the ring, and probably most exciting is BMW. Most exciting because a big name, with money and staying power, is making its way into the "smart" helmet market. To me, this means others will follow.

BWM is working with DigiLens to make the heads up display. DigiLens has an extensive background in optical displays, which lends itself well to BWM's application in a HUD helmet. Better yet, instead of either or both companies going off on their own and developing what they think will be the best HUD for a motorcyclist, they're opening up a design contest for anyone to submit their ideas. It's not to say they couldn't or wouldn't be able to design an awesome system; it's that they're open to soliciting ideas from the ends users.

So, here's your chance to tell them what you think. Head over to the DigiLens contest site and design your own HUD. They give you three scenarios and many options to add to the display.

What can you come up with? Here are my designs.

sunday ride...

took a ride to thomasville this past sunday to attend the year update for instructors. i was anxious to get back on the bike since i've been busy, it's been cold and i haven't had a chance to do much riding this year. well, it was cold sunday but i didn't let that stop me - at least it was supposed to be sunny.

i bundled up with a few layers and my electric gear. even though it was below freezing when i took off, it wasn't as bad as i expected. i started out on back roads, in the dark, scanning for patches of ice. i was a bit surprised at how clean the roads were.

on my way, i was surprised at how much colder it was once i got off the back roads and hit the interstate. i would have figured once i got onto the highway and away from what little shade there was that early in the morning, the temps would have been warmed. i guess the concrete kept it cold.

first stop was waffle house to catch up with a fellow instructor and head out to thomasville. after a quick breakfast and some hot coffee, we bundled up and headed out.

before leaving, i had forgotten to put the location into my gps - not that i didn't know where i was going, i just like to keep tabs on my travel. earlier in the year i deleted all the way points make navigating the cape fear 1000 a bit easier. now i'm cruising down the road, trying to fat finger my gps with heavy gloves.

now i love my gps. it's rugged and it serves me well. but... it leaves a lot to be desired in the search category. as i'm fumbling with finding the college, moving the alphabet slider, punching the wrong letters, trying to nail the backspace icon in the upper right corner, i keep thinking about the +Skully Helmets ar-1.

how cool would it be to just be able to speak and find your location without removing your hands from the grips? no more looking down as you're fumbling with the location. it's all there, right in front of you, just an eyes-shift away. not only that, but with the rear-facing camera and being on the highway, it'd be a heck of a lot easier to keep track of traffic. i'm in the habit of always using my mirrors and scanning all around. but it's inevitable that you lose a vehicle somewhere and end up wrenching your head around trying to find it again. that one-eighty degree field of view would certainly help in those situations.

we made it to the update, caught up with many friends and got the usual comments about being crazy for riding in the cold. everyone was talking about driving in their cages and being able to turn on the heat. i'd just pick up the cord for my heated gear and say 'me too.'

i will admit it was cold on on the way there. but not as cold as some days i've ridden. and the ride home definitely made it all worth it. what am i saying? it could have been just as cold on the way home and it would have been worth it!!! but the ride home was absolutely beautiful. great temps, sunny, just cutting a trail home.

we did have to make one stop to pick up some foam for my friend's wife. the girl at the fabric outlet thought we were crazy. but it's just another day motorcycling!!

check out the route on the 2014 ride map...

skully ar-1 beta tester...

a few weeks ago i applied to be a beta tester for skully's ar-1 helmet. the helmet features a heads-up display and rear-facing camera. the rear-facing camera has a 180 degree viewing angle, which means not only do you see what's behind you, you can also see to the sides. with a viewing angle like that, your blind spot is greatly reduced. in addition to seeing the the rear-facing camera in the heads-up display, a gps map is displayed. there are two versions of the map - a simplified version and a detailed version for driving directions.

today i received an email saying they've received my application and am being considered as a tester. skully will begin notifying candidates of their selection in february. it might be a bit early to start holding my breath, but i can always hope.