Dating back to 1958, Shoei, without a shadow of a doubt, stands as one of the world’s most elite motorcycle helmet manufacturers, with a nearly six-and-a-half decade-long history of handcrafting some of the most premium moto lids that money can buy. For the last several years, Shoei has been working on its first full smart helmet, and after an extensive research and development period, the company has now revealed the all-new Shoei OPTICSON Smart Motorcycle Helmet.
Representing the first-ever smart helmet to come from a major established helmet manufacturer, the OPTICSON is outfitted with a pivoting Head-Up Display that sits in front of the wearer’s right eye and displays call and text alerts, GPS directions using augmented reality, street names, estimated arrival times, and a clock, just to name a few of its many data point features. The helmet also includes an onboard comm system with built-in speakers and a microphone array. Like Shoei’s second-generation Neotec and GT-Air models, the OPTICSUN features a control module — albeit of the preinstalled variety — on the left side of the helmet below the visor pivot, though the helmet’s smart system can also be controlled via voice commands.
Additionally, the helmet’s chin-guard is equipped with an embedded light sensor that automatically adjusts the tint of its visor based on lighting, selecting one of its five settings to best suit current conditions — though this can also be adjusted manually. Powered by a Lithium-ion iron phosphate battery with fully-waterproof connectors, the helmet’s smart system features Bluetooth connectivity for pairing with a smartphone and a dedicated app. In typical late-model Shoei fashion, the smart helmet is constructed around a shell crafted from the Japanese brand’s proprietary Advanced Integrated Matrix Plus material, plus boasts Shoei’s Personal Fitting System, Emergency Quick Release System, and a removable quick-drying, moisture-wicking liner. On top of a suite of open and close-able intake and exhaust ports for ventilation, the OPTICSUN has also been bestowed with an injection-molded CNS-1 “DRYLENS” shield that’s incredibly resistant to fogging up.
The Shoei OPTICSON Smart Motorcycle Helmet will be available for order starting on December 17th. Pricing for the OPTICSON has been set at $980 for the helmet, plus another $79 for the battery (which is sold separately). Using the helmet’s HUD and smart system also requires a monthly service subscription that costs just under $6 a month or $57 for a year.
