Hong Kong student helps turn bright idea into a safer bicycle helmet

Bicycle helmets with lights that can signal left or right turns like a car may be on Hong Kong streets in the near future, thanks in part to a local student.

Jeff Chen Hao-ren, 23, came up with the smart bicycle helmet, called Lumos, which is designed to improve the safety and visibility of cyclists riding after dark.

Using integrated LED lights on the back of the helmet, a cyclist can indicate left and right turns with a wireless remote control unit on the handlebars. The brake light on the helmet is automatically switched on when the bicycle brakes are applied.

Chen got the idea when he was an exchange student in the US two years ago. "Riding bicycles on the road in Hong Kong is a lot more dangerous. In America, there are more bicycle riders on the road, but in Hong Kong, there isn't a lot, so drivers will be less aware of them," Chen said.

Chen, who studied mechanical engineering and business management at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology developed the helmet with Harvard University student Ding Eu-wen, 30.

When they found they both experienced problems of safety while riding bicycles at night, they began working on a prototype of the helmet.

"As a group of developers and cyclists, we've spent a long time trying to create a solution for the countless number of people, including ourselves, who've felt invisible or vulnerable on the road," Ding said.