Our modern world is full of tech, sometimes too much tech for many of us to make sense of. This is true pretty much everywhere, but it couldn’t be more true in the world of motorcycles. From cornering ABS to semi-active suspensions and smartphone connectivity, a lot of our bikes are filled to the brim with stuff we hardly ever even use.
And the same is true when it comes to gear, too. Or at least it’s surely looking that way in the near future.
These days, we’re seeing airbag vests with subscriptions and even helmets that dabble in augmented reality. And so, it was really just a matter of time before someone decided that it would be a good idea to make a helmet that can pretty much do it all.
This is where Intelligent Cranium Helmet (ICH) enters the picture with its new AI-powered smart helmet. This thing first made its debut at CES 2025, and on paper, there’s no denying it’s the stuff tech nerds’ dreams are made of. But wait a minute, not all motorcyclists are tech nerds, some of us actually ride bikes to detach ourselves from all the tech that litters our modern world.
So maybe this particular helmet isn't for us, but could be good for others.
Well, clearly, it’s for riders who value tech more than actually riding. It’s rocking everything you’d expect to find in Iron Man’s suit—yes, voice commands, too. It gets 360-degree awareness, crash detection, voice-activated cameras, and even a heads-up display that alerts you about vehicles and stuff going on in your vicinity.
Sure, the idea here is all about making riding safer. But is this helmet really the future of motorcycling—or is it just another over-engineered gimmick? Let’s dive in a bit deeper, shall we?
OK, to be fair, ICH’s AI-powered lid does get a few things right. For starters, blind spots are a real thing, and the helmet promises augmented vision thanks to its 240-degree horizontal field of view. ICH says that this combined with the rider’s natural 120-degree FOV promises “near-complete awareness” of your surroundings. Proximity alerts take this a step further too, with the helmet alerting you every time you drift off your lane or a vehicle gets a bit too close for comfort.
The lid also comes with a crash detection system that immediately alerts emergency services should you take a spill and not get up after 15 seconds. Lastly, there’s also a front-facing action camera, and one that lets you talk to it, too. All you have to do is say “Hey, record my ride,” and the camera beeps on and starts taking video of your adventure.
Fine, that’s all cool, sure. But here’s the thing. Riding a motorcycle in and of itself requires you to be aware of your surroundings at any given time—you shouldn’t need to rely on fancy tech to do any of this. You, as a rider, should know how to stay in your lane, change lanes responsibly, and you know, control the machine all on your own. Plus, most smartphones already come with some kind of crash detection feature, and most premium action cams already come with voice commands. So no, I don’t really see the point in all the redundancy here.
Plus, this helmet tips the scales at a rather hefty 3.77 pounds thanks to all the gadgets and gizmos it’s packing. And while ICH says it’s working on a slimmer, lighter design with a smaller battery, this ultimately means that the helmet’s smart features will only be active for around five to seven hours. Now, I don’t know about you, but a lot of my rides extend much longer than just seven hours. And no, I wouldn’t like a charging cable sticking out of my helmet and into a power bank as I ride, either.
But perhaps my biggest gripe with this thing is that it might actually encourage bad riding habits. You see, if you’re relying on a 360-degree camera to know what’s around you, are you still doing head-checks when you change lanes or cross intersections? If proximity alerts tell you when you’re drifting off or when a car is about to sideswipe you, are you even paying attention to the road? It’s scary to rely on all this tech, especially for newer riders, because let’s face it—there’s no guarantee that it’ll work all the time.
And of course, there’s also the question of whether or not riders even want this tech. I know I don’t, and I know a whole bunch of other riders don’t want it, either. Sure, it’s cool, and it’s something that could prospectively attract new riders into the fold. But saying that this tech could revolutionize motorcycle safety just seems like quite a stretch…at least for me.
Don’t get me wrong, innovations like ICH’s smart helmet are exciting,and they point to the fact that yes, motorcycling will be alive and well, way into the future. But for now, this tech feels more like a novelty than a necessity. But who knows, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, tech like this will become the norm?
