Lumos’ smart helmet recognizes hand gestures via Apple Watch

Lumos has launched a smart bike helmet that flashes a turn signal when the user makes a hand gesture.

The Lumos helmet works with an app on the Apple Watch, which can detect gestures via its internal sensors. You can indicate a left or right turn with your arm, and the helmet will flash a corresponding turn signal on the back of the helmet with a red light.

The Lumos helmet will be available in more than 300 Apple stores across the U.S. and Europe this spring.

Above: Lumos has both front and back lights on its helmet.

With the gesture recognition technology, riders will no longer have to use a remote to activate their turn signal. Instead, the technology enhances the riders safety by fitting in with their normal behavior.

The Lumos Helmet will now also feature enhanced Bluetooth connectivity to the iPhone. With an upgraded iPhone app, the Helmet can now be integrated with Strava and Apple Health, allowing riders to have their ride activity recorded automatically.

One beta tester who tried the feature out in San Francisco for a day said “I’ve never seen the Apple Watch used in this way before. It’s a really cool feature, and it works surprisingly well.”

Lumos will have the first helmet of any kind sold at the Apple Store.

Above: Lumos’ smart helmet has turn signals that you can operate with hand gestures.

“I am tremendously excited about this new feature and how it will further enhance cycling safety,” said Lumos Helmet CEO Eu-wen Ding, in an email. “As a design-centered company, we’re thrilled to be able to launch this with Apple. Having got our start as an idea on Kickstarter, this is a huge moment for us.”

The helmet integrates front and rear lights, hard brake, and turn signals.