Interview: to find out more about Hövding 3 technologies

Launched in 2019, the third version of the Hövding continues to surprise as this airbag is distinguished from other bike helmets.Nevertheless, it also attracts more and more users because it is today the helmet that best protects.We asked Anna-Katarina Skogh, Marketing Director of the Swedish brand, who teaches us a little more about Hövding developments and technologies a little more.With her, Julien Diquelou, communication and marketing manager of Toad, the distributor of the brand in France.

Hövding 3.0, an airbag helmet that uses advanced technologies

The only bike helmet that uses airbag to protect cyclists

Can you tell us more about the operation of Hövding?

Anna-Katarina: “Hövding is a high-tech product to put on his neck, like a necklace.Once the product is activated, he will read the cyclists' movements 200 times per second.It is important to activate the product only when you are on the bike.»

Julien: "We can compare the activation of the airbag to the use we have of his car.You put your belt when you get into your car and detach it when you get out of it.It’s the same idea with this helmet.»

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Have you used existing technology or have you developed yours?

Anna-Katarina: “We used existing technologies like that of car airbags or algorithm and we assembled them in order to read the movements.From that, we have developed Hövding technology from the base.No airbag was done to fully protect the head and no algorithm had previously been developed to tracker and analyze cyclists' movements to protect them.»

How long was it necessary to develop this tech?

Anna-Katarina: “7 years old passed away between the start of the 1st version in 2005 and her arrival on the market in 2011.We then used the same technology for Hövding 2.0 and 3.0 therefore difficult to say how long for this version.»

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3000 accidents and all the northern European stuntmen required

Can you explain to us how your algorithm works?

Anna-Katarina: “Thousands of tests have been carried out to reconstruct cyclists accidents.Whether with models or stuntmen, we wanted to have models of motion -specific movements.The algorithm is trained and learns thanks to data that corresponds both to accidents but also to current situations.

All accident data is created by collecting movements from different accident schemes staged.Professional stuntmen have simulated more than 3000 different accidents with several intensities. Les données de situations “non accidentées» proviennent de 300 fans Hövding qui ont essayé le casque en situation réelle.This gave more than 2,000 hours of data on current bicycle situations.

These 2 types of data put end to end create a solid base to allow the algorithm to detect or not an accident.The result is an intelligent system that detects an accident by itself and triggers an airbag in less than 0.1 second.»

How do you update your algorithm?

Anna-Katarina: “In our latest model, Hövding 3.0, the algorithm can be updated thanks to the Bluetooth connection via the Hövding application.»

An anecdote about these tests?

Anna-Katarina: “A fun anecdote is that we were in professional cascaders.We needed to record movements as close as possible to the reality of a real accident.The problem is that stuntmen learn quickly.We therefore had to change stuntmen regularly to keep a certain spontaneity in the fall.We used almost all the stuntmen we found in Northern Europe to record our 3000 accidents.»

Hövding, the safest bike helmet in the world

How is Hövding the helmet that protects the most?

Qu’est-ce qui fait de Hövding le “casque le plus sûr au monde»* ?

Anna-Katarina: "It is Hövding Airbag technology that makes this safest helmet in the world.And we are the only ones to use this technology for our helmet to date.This airbag allows you to have a softer shock.Unlike other helmets that only protect the skull, it protects both the cranial box and the brain.With a traditional helmet, the brain feels the impact inside the cranial box while with Hövding, this impact is amortized.»

Do you have figures on the impact that Hövding may have on cyclists?

Anna-Katarina: “Since the launch, we have had more than 5000 people who have contacted us to thank us and tell us that Hövding worked well with them.However, we know that this represents only a small part given that most cyclists postpone their accidents to their insurance.»

What are the possible technological and practical developments in Hövding?

What are the main changes between the 1st version and Hövding 3.0?

Anna-Katarina: “There are 3 important changes:

Julien: "Finally, I would add that Hövding is now adjustable to the width of your neck.It can be tight or loosened to suit all morphologies or if you wear a thick clothing below for example.»

Practical therefore in order to be more comfortable or just to let a little more air pass when it is hot.

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Do you plan to develop a helmet that is used several times?

Anna-Katarina: “Today, our Airbag technology does not allow us to reuse the helmet after an accident.It is a safety accessory and when developing the product, security remains our priority.

Hövding is like any other helmet.If you fall or have an accident, it must be replaced with a new one because there may be invisible cracks in the plastic of the shell.»

An intelligent bike helmet that adapts to any situation

Is it 100% reliable?Does the product are triggered if we sneeze for example?

Anna-Katarina: "I tested it several times and it's 100% safe.No trigger when sneezing.

But you have to be aware that it is a technological product.You have to load it, activate it when you cycle and deactivate it when you get off the bike.»

What's going on for the customer if Hövding triggers, by bike or not?

Anna-Katarina: “In the case of an accident on the bicycle, insurance can replace your Hövding helmet with a new one if the accident is caused by a third party.If this is a product defect, like any other technological product, we can replace it.»

Julien: “We notably had the case of a person who forgot to deactivate his airbag downstairs.She took the elevator and Hövding triggered.In this type of case, this does not fit into the normal use of the helmet.

The Hövding warranty includes replacing 2 helmets per year.It is however important to remember that this product is used only when you cycle and you have to think about deactivating it.It is an intelligent product but it is blind, it does what is asked to do.There is not yet a camera to detect whether the user is cycling or not.»

How can the product trigger in an elevator and not during sneezing?

Julien: "There are, in fact, several things that the sensors and the analyze algorithm.For example, they take into account speed, acceleration or the angle.There is also a gyroscope inside the product.He also analyzes if there is a sudden change in height position.For example, if you go from a low position to a much higher position, it will determine that it is not normal.Because it is not something that could happen on a bike.

In addition, recorded situations that do not correspond to an accident include everyday movements on a bike like sneezing.We also find the fact of stirring his disapproval head, readjust his bag or his scarf, go down a sidewalk or roll on the cobblestones.»»

*According to a Certimoov study during which Hövding obtained the highest note