Bell Helmets have their new Pro Star 360fly helmet under test at the Isle of Man TT.
The Pro Star helmet has the innovative 360fly camera that can capture full 360° panoramic footage mounted into the top of the helmet.
Bell ambassadors, Gary Johnson, William Dunlop and Brandon Cretu are using prototypes of the helmets during portions of practice and competition.
The 360fly camera is already available and we’re seeing some amazing footage from the device.
https://youtu.be/Muu9-Dg0OVc
The top-level 4K version captures video at a resolution of 2880 x 2880 at 30 frames per second.
During playback of the 360° footage, the viewer can control the camera angle using a keyboard, mouse or touchscreen.
It has Bluetooth connectivity and can be controlled by 360fly’s proprietary smartphone app.
It also has integrated GPS, barometer, altimeter and accelerometer that provide additional data to the video and help to stabilise the recording.
The camera is available in Australia and pricing starts at $639 for the standard version and $839 for the 4K version.
Bell has integrated the camera into its new Pro Star helmet and demonstrated it at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The Pro Star 360fly helmet is scheduled for release later this year after further testing and approval.
Even without the camera, the Bell Pro Star helmet is an innovative design that uses ultra-thin TeXtreme® carbon-fibre to keep weight down without compromising strength.
That helps make the new Pro Star range 21% lighter than previous versions at just 1.5 kg.
Bell has also hinted that the camera could also be used for a Collision Avoidance Alert that would alert the rider to obstacles outside their field of vision.
The Pro Star helmet (without camera) is expected to be available for sale in Australia around August and will be priced at around $1,600.