Bike helmet reads cyclists’ minds, tracks their stress levels on the road

MindRider is using EEG technology to enable riders to see how their thought patterns change over the course of their journey.

As with almost all previously offline products, bikes and their accessories are now getting smart. We’ve already written about Helios handlebars, which feature exercise tracking and GPS location services. Now the MindRider helmet is using EEG technology to enable cyclists to see how their thought patterns change over the course of their journey.

The idea for the device came about when MIT Media Lab graduate Arlene Ducao, who now runs Brooklyn’s DuKode Studio, began to hack her own helmet by adding an EEG headset that changed the color of embedded LEDs depending on how calm or agitated she was. She was then approached by creative tech marketer Sandra Richter to create an app that could use the setup to plot riders’ brain activity over space and time. The app shows a map of the route riders have taken, overlaid with heat bubbles that show the points at which they felt relaxed or stressed.

Although the platform is currently in its development stage, it’s possible that such a system could help cyclists pick the most pleasant routes for their commute, or even provide governments with data enabling them to plan their cycle paths more effectively. Ducao says that future versions of the helmet may include more advanced EEG technology and a head-up display that lets cyclists see their mood in real time. Are there other ways that brain tracking tech could reveal more information about commuters’ experiences on the road?