Airbag bicycle helmet based on One Piece Woven technology

Project Information

The Invisible Helmet

Grant agreement ID: 718705

DOI 10.3030/718705

Closed project

EC signature date 21 March 2016

Start date 1 April 2016

End date 31 March 2018

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost € 1 967 770,00

EU contribution € 1 377 439,00

Coordinated by

HOVDING SVERIGE AB
Sweden

Objective

Cycling is a crucial mode of transport in the common European challenge of making transport sustainable: cycling is energy efficient, environmentally friendly and very suitable for short distances.

The use of helmet is not widely accepted by urban cyclists due to practical reasons, they are uncomfortable, cumbersome to carry around, look hideous, make sweat and ruin personal style.

Hövding represents a head protection for cyclists unlike any other product on the market – an airbag for cyclists. Compared with traditional helmets, Hövding is more than three times better shock absorbance, can withstand multiple mpacts in one accident, reduce head rotation, provides much larger protection area and stabilizes head and neck in the accident. Hövding is easy to fold and bring in bag, discrete, works with a hat.

Hövding has been sold during around 3 years. Now we focus on expanding from initial test sales in Sweden to successive rollout across Europe. However some limitations such as our quite manual manufacturing process impede us to scale up our product and meet our growth ambitions.

The overall objective of our business innovation project is to automatize the manufacturing process of our airbag for cyclists called Hövding with the aim of scale-up and reduce production costs. To this end, airbag will be designed and manufactured in one piece with woven seams eliminating the need of conventional sewing. We also want increase the add-value of our airbag add Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity and developing an outer shell based on nanotechnology textiles to obtain
superior lightweight, good water and stain repellent properties.

Hövding addresses a market of an estimated 150 million adult cyclists in Europe alone and clearly contributes to EC policies intended to improve road safety offering a more safety solution to traditional helmets. With this business innovation project we want to establish Hövding as a novel product category – The No.1 head protection for cyclist

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › manufacturing engineering
• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › internet › internet of things
• engineering and technology › nanotechnology
• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › information engineering › telecommunications › radio technology › bluetooth
• engineering and technology › materials engineering › textiles

Programme(s)

• H2020-EU.3.4. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport Main Programme
• H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument

Topic(s)

• IT-1-2015 - Small business innovation research for Transport

Call for proposal

H2020-SMEInst-2014-2015

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-SMEINST-2-2015

Funding Scheme

SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2

Coordinator

HOVDING SVERIGE AB

• Net EU contribution: € 1 377 439,00
• Address: GRIMSBYGATAN 24 ; 211 20 MALMO ; Sweden
• SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes:
  Region
  Södra Sverige › Sydsverige › Skåne län
• Region: Södra Sverige › Sydsverige › Skåne län
• Activity type: Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
• Total cost: € 1 967 770,00