Redmond, Wash.-based tech startup Coros Wearables announced last week on Kickstarter that the company’s LINX smart cycling helmet is now available for purchase. With LINX, Coros hopes to tackle the challenge of merging tech and bike on the open road.
Employing bone conduction technology, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, LINX enables riders to answer calls, be navigated and listen to music without taking their ears off the road. By sending vibrations through a rider’s cheek bones, LINX bypasses the eardrum and sends audio directly to the inner ear. Theoretically because cyclists’ ear canals stay open, they are more likely to hear and avoid roadside hazards.
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Riders interact with their smart helmet through a small remote control that mounts on bike handlebars, and a companion smartphone app. The Coros LINX smart remote has the capability to pause, play, adjust volume, skip tracks and handle phone calls.
“I can’t wait to show the Kickstarter community just how much the Coros connected helmet intends to turn biking on its ear, literally, creating a richer, safer, more tuned-in experience for cyclists,” Chuck Frizelle, President and Co-Founder of Coros said in a statement of LINX’s potential.
LINX has been tested extensively by its intended demographic. According to LINX’s Kickstarter page, numerous competitors at the Seattle to Portland (STP) ride tested prerelease helmets, and the many anonymous reviews were overwhelmingly positive. STP is one of the largest cycling events in the Unites States, totaling 10,000 cyclists and covering 200 miles.
LINX met its Kickstarter campaign’s funding goal of $50,000, just 12 hours after its launch. As of Wednesday — just six days into the campaign — backers had raised more than $114,000. Early adopters can expect delivery of their new smart helmets as early as October with a full retail launch scheduled for Nov. 1.
LINX is the initial product offering of Coros, which describes itself as, “a start-up at the intersection of active sports and technology,” and is led by an executive team loaded with experience.
“We have a passionate core team of outdoor sports enthusiasts, coupled with strong partner agencies and a respected technology and manufacturing team specializing in wearables and consumer electronics,” Frizelle said in a statement in July.
The five principal members of the current Coros team boast backgrounds at major players like Reebok, Starbucks and and Microsoft.
Coros attributes its name to the Latin derivative “COR” meaning heart, mind, and soul, along with the word “chorus” as a credit to harmony. The eager startup has plans to release future products that continue to foster a harmonious relationship between technology and sports.