Hairdryer instead of a hard hat — a self-inflating cycle helmet that you wear around your neck. Swedish engineers are rethinking the cycle helmets and have developed an airbag that can enclose the head within 0.1 seconds. Fortunately you don't see many cyclists on the streets without a helmet these days...
...Safety first, even if your snazzy hairdo suffers from the pressure of a hard helmet. Swedish engineers and product designers have now come up with a new solution. For seven years, they worked on a clever idea to replace bulky plastic head protection with an almost invisible airbag called Hövding. It is worn discreetly as a scarf, and inflates itself in a flash in case of an accident and protects the entire head. So you can ride your bike not just in style, but also safely. In fact Hövding is nothing but a collar for cyclists that you wear visibly around your neck. Thanks to removable and changeable covers and designs, you can change the appearance of this safety accessory to match your outfit. It weighs almost nothing. It adjusts itself economically and only rests on your neck and shoulders. It is activated automatically when you put it on and close the zip on the front of the collar. The stud that secures the zipper is also the on/off switch. In addition, a beep confirms it's working and six small LEDs display battery level.
The idea for the Hövding airbag comes from Swedish industrial designers Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin. The helmet alternative made its debut at the technology exhibition in Stockholm on 19 October: http://www.hovding.com/en/how/
