State-Funded Helmet Promises 'Fresh Air' In Battle Against Winter Smog

• Image Credit: Google

• Aug 29, 2022 | Dhupali Das

According to a 2019 test report seen by Reuters, the helmet reduced lung-damaging PM2.5 airborne particle levels to 8.1 micrograms...

Digital Desk: As New Delhi prepares for winter and the subsequent season of acrid smog, the government is promoting a motorcycle helmet with filters and a fan at the back that it claims can remove 80 percent of pollutants.

State authorities have invested thousands of dollars in Shellios Technolabs, a business whose creator, Amit Pathak, says the helmet is the first of its kind in the world. Pathak started working on the helmet in a basement in 2016.

That year saw the first news stories about the toxic air that from mid-December to early February, makes it practically impossible to breathe in New Delhi due to the cold weather trapping dust, car emissions, and smoke from burning crop waste in neighbouring states.

An air purifier might be installed inside a house or place of business. But the people on the bike have no protection at all," said Pathak, an electrical engineer.

"So, his company created a helmet with an air purification system that has a replacement filter membrane and a fan that is driven by a battery that lasts six hours and can be recharged using a micro USB port," Pathak added.

Pathak stated that sales of the helmet began in 2019 and that tests on New Delhi's streets by an independent laboratory proved that it can keep more than 80% of pollutants out of users' nostrils.

According to a 2019 test report seen by Reuters, the helmet reduced lung-damaging PM2.5 airborne particle levels to 8.1 micrograms per cubic metre from 43.1 micrograms outside.

The science and technology ministry says the helmet offers "a breath of fresh air for bikers." That may not come soon enough in a country that had 35 of the world's 50 worst polluted cities last year.

Pathak sees a significant opportunity in the annual need for 30 million helmets, but he didn't share his production or sales data.

The average price of each helmet in India will be Rs. 4,500, or roughly four times the price of a standard helmet, due to which many riders may not afford the product.

As the 1.5 kg weight is heavier than existing devices, Shellios has collaborated with a large manufacturer to make a lighter version made of thermoplastic rather than fiberglass, which will help reduce costs.

The new version is likely to be available within a few months.

Pathak claimed that Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have also expressed interest in the company.