ETHOS
High End Urban Lighted Helmet
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Design wire harness assembly for compatibility with helmet manufacturing
Integrate light componentry into existing product geometry
Minimize battery box profile and consider end of life battery removal
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Consumer electronics integration and functional design
Chip on Board LED co-designed with overseas vendor to maximize functionality and manufacturability
Battery box designed for end of life disassembly and disposal
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Wire Harness Integration
As our first helmet with integrated lights, we went through several design changes and iterations to merge the wire harness and foam into one unit
Wires were fixtured in place in the EPS mold with exposed snap connectors. During the molding process, foam was blown around the wires, securing and hiding them from view. Snap connectors were then easily assembled to the LED units and battery by assembly works
Battery Box Design
Minimization of profile and end of life disassembly considerations were critical to the project scope
The battery box not only needed to be as small as possible for aesthetics, but also for impact management. Lumen and run time requirements were balanced with these factors over several discussions with the factory as well as prototype impact testing validation
For end of life battery separation, the simplest solution was best. The battery box slides into the cavity at the base of the helmet and snaps in after wiring is connected. The snaps are designed to withstand pull forces seen in every day use from the consumer, but allow removal of the battery box by a trained operator
Consumer Electronics Interface
Bluetooth remote and light features were key selling points to consider from the user’s perspective
The remote was designed to ergonomically integrate with handlebars next to the rider’s thumb on either side of the bike, with as many features as possible without compromising on the intuitive button layout
Amber turn signals, controlled via the remote, were integrated for urban rider functionality. Human error was considered, which is why we programmed a auditory alert into the helmet when the turn signal is active, and an automatic shutoff of the turn signal after 2 minutes, the high end limit of traffic cycle wait times
Multiple different modes and run times were programmed into the functionality for a variety of use cases