NEW DELHI: The government is marketing a motorbike helmet equipped with filters and a fan at the rear that it says can remove 80% of pollutants as India’s capital New Delhi gets ready for winter and the attendant season of bitter smog.
State organizations have invested thousands of dollars in Shellios Technolabs, a business whose creator Amit Pathak started developing the helmet in a basement in 2016. He says it is the first of its type in the world.
That year saw the first news stories about the polluted air that from mid-December to early February, makes it practically impossible to breathe in New Delhi due to the cold that traps dust, car emissions, and smoke from burning agricultural waste in neighboring states.
India’s state-funded winter smog helmet promises ‘fresh air’
Therefore, his business 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 via a micro USB port.
The helmet’s sales started in 2019, and independent laboratory testing on the streets of New Delhi found it can block more than 80% of pollutants from entering users’ noses, Pathak noted.
According to a 2019 test report seen by Reuters, the helmet reduced outside PM 2.5 particle concentrations from 43.1 micrograms per cubic metre to 8.1 micrograms inside.
The helmet, in the words of India’s ministry of science and technology, is “a breath of new air for bicyclists.” In a nation where 35 of the 50 most polluted cities in the world were located last year, it could not have come at a better time.
Despite the yearly need for 30 million helmets, Pathak sees a significant possibility but chose not to disclose his production or sales data.
Each helmet costs 4,500 rupees ($56), approximately four times the price of a standard helmet. As a result, many Indian motorcyclists are unable to afford the product.
Shellios has partnered with a major manufacturer to create a lighter version using thermoplastic material rather than fiberglass since the 1.5 kilogram (3.3 lb) weight is heavier than current devices. This move will also reduce the price.
Within a few months, the next version is anticipated to be released.
India’s state-funded winter smog helmet promises ‘fresh air’
Pathak said that Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have also shown interest in the enterprise.
