THE FIRST WIRELESS HANDS-FREE HELMET
Vital for the safety of both driver and passenger, the crash helmet has until now had the limit of making it difficult, and sometimes even dangerous to talk to one's travel companion. The helmet has been an obstacle to communication between partners in the pleasures of biking and their dynamic and extrovert lifestyle on their shared voyages of discovery.
The mobile phone has given even more opportunities to travel freely while remaining in contact with both the world of work and the family, but at the same time has increased the number of risks when telephoning on board a bike or scooter.
The innovative communications technology employed by Stilo has broken through the on-board silence imposed by the crash helmet, letting the driver and passenger chat to each other and take mobile calls with maximum safety and in complete privacy.
This is possible thanks to the integration into the helmet of Bluetooth-based full-duplex hands-free communication which allows both parties to speak at the same time, just as on the telephone. The helmet signals the reception of a call by the mobile phone by a tone in the helmet and the call is answered, and the connection with the other helmet interrupted, by a brief pressure on a multifunction switch mounted in the helmet itself. Communication between the driver and passenger is automatically restored at the end of the call. (More detailed information on the system is available on request).
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
The Stilo electronic communication system allows wireless communication between helmets and between a helmet and a Bluetooth (1) -enabled mobile phone.
The helmets need to be twinned (2) , or simply re-twinned as often as required, to exploit their full communications potential, with the option of setting a helmet as a Master or Slave.
Communication is possible between twinned Master and Slave helmets or between each helmet and a mobile phone twinned with it for use as a telephone.
When a call is received by the mobile phone twinned with the Master helmet while the wearer is talking to the Slave, Stilo system signals the arrival of the call with a tone inside the helmet and automatically interrupts the connection with the Slave. The incoming call is answered by pressing the switch on the helmet and when the call is terminated communication with the Slave is re-established automatically.
The Slave can also use a twinned mobile phone but to make or receive a call while talking to the Master the wearer has to interrupt that communication by pressing the switch on the helmet before establishing a phone connection.
When either the Master or Slave helmet operates only with the mobile phone the calls are managed in the same way, as if they were both Masters.
(1) Bluetooth is a technology that transmits data and sound wirelessly on a specific radio frequency. Many last-generation mobile phones are Bluetooth enabled and are able to work independently of the telephone company being used. For more information on Bluetooth-enabled mobile telephones compatible with the system see the list of recommended handsets.
(2) That is enabled to recognise each other and connect automatically.
For two helmets to communicate with each other they need to be twinned, or ‘introduced' to each other. Similarly, for a helmet to communicate with a Bluetooth-enabled mobile there is a twinning procedure during which the helmet is set as Master or Slave.
The Master / Slave setting can be easily reset simply by repeating the twinning procedure.
