Rearview helmet

[Morrie]

My new Reevu helmet arrived today. Standing in my front yard, I could easily see directly behind me. The rear vision field seems pretty small, but there is an adjustment I'll try if it isn't satisfactory after initial test rides. The quality appears to be quite good. It's pretty light. It is not DOT approved, which I knew when I bought it, but from what I understand the DOT standard doesn't guaranty much safety. I don't know if this would be a problem in some helmet-law states. I should have a chance to test ride it tomorrow and will pass along what I learn.

 

 

[AviP]

Do keep us posted. Let us know if the field of vision can be widened. And how wide does it seem right now, in terms of lanes say 2 car lengths behind. Also how is the night vision and does a pillion rider affect it. It does sound interesting.

[Morrie]

I'll know more after I dig the bike out of the garage and sit on it wearing the helmet. I'm pretty sure a pillion rider would block most or all of the rear vision. The field of vision seems pretty wide from side to side, but rather limited top to bottom and I may find that I'll be moving my head up and down a bit to adjust. I'm very eager to get the first test ride in.

[Dave_C]

Never heard of this helmet. Does it have a camera in it or mirrors?

[Morrie]

It's a mirror system. I've played around with it a bit more and think it's a matter of adjustment. The mirror rotates slightly outward from just above your eyebrows. There is an adjustment tool that lets you move the rear view into the mirror. So far I have only been able to move the view halfway down into the mirror. The bottom of the mirror remains empty and I'm not getting the full view. If I can get it adjusted properly, I think it will be an excellent rear view. I have a message in to tech support which won't be open until Monday in England. I can see that the potential of it is pretty impressive. I'm anxious to see if I can get the rest of the adjustment right.

[Mike05]

Morrie,

 

Curious; how is the fit?

 

Were you able to purchase from a "local" (U.S.) distributor and/or try one on beforehand or did you order directly from the manufacturer "sight unseen"?

 

 

[Morrie]

I ordered it from Reevu.com after measuring my head and sending the specs according to their website. I got a large and it fits perfectly. My Shoei is also a large so I imagine their sizes run about the same as other helmets. It was $249 euros and 19 euro shipping. It arrived about a week after I ordered it even over the holidays. I'm told the design specs are for a rider to see an object 2 meters high from a distance of 10 meters, at an average rider eye height of 1.57 meters. Here is a youtube demo:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9uLsMq7mBE&NR=1

 

I haven't been able to achieve that large a field of vision top-to-bottom yet, but I have been exchanging emails with the factory and I'm hopeful that I'll get it adjusted right. I can stand beside the road now and see cars approaching from behind. It's pretty rainy today so I may not get a chance to road test it.

 

 

 

 

 

[cali_beemer]

It looks interesting. How would you comapre the quality to say, an Arai, Shoei, Bell or HJC?

 

I would only be concered about limiting your forward sight. On my RS, I lean over a bit more so the upper part of the visor is critical. How do you find the forward sight relative to another full face?

[Dietrich]

Looks interesting, wonder how distracting it would be. Keep us posted. It is certainly a worthwhile application of an impressive technology. I often wondered how mirrors would work that bicyclists are using, clipped to the goggles or helmet.

[Penforhire]

Sure seems like a great idea, as long as it doesn't compromise crash-protection. Is there a shade to dim headlight images for night riding?

[Morrie]

The rear screen on the helmet is about 6" square and is advertised as being a diffuser from low sunlight so presumably it would work for headlights as well. No doubt this helmet will have to be handled carefully to avoid damage to this screen. My frustration level is high because I can't get mine adjusted properly and can't really test it until next week when I can contact tech support. I have known of these helmets though the years of their development and have eagerly awaited the finished product. The production quality seems high to me and they are said to be very aerodynamic and quiet. Venting appears to be comparable to my Shoei and the vents are easy to open and close. I'm attaching a pic of what the view is supposed to be like.

 

I have to add that it is brutally cold here in Florida now and I'm not sure when I'll want to take a real test ride.

 

 

[Morrie]

Another view from inside

[thencamebronson]

This looks like one of those things where you say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

[Morrie]

Reevu has agreed to examine the helmet that I can't make work, to see if it's calibrated properly. I shipped it to the UK yesterday and they should have it in a week. They have been very responsive and seem quite concerned about making it work for me. I'll update again when I know more.

 

 

[elkroeger]

It reminds me of those little helmet mounted bicycle mirrors. they're kinda handy, but you're not gonna be doing any sight-seeing with it.... (ie. don't expect too much with the reevu)

[Peter Parts]

Anybody ever try a computer "mouse" based on how you move your head?

 

Locking a mirror (or a screen pointer) to your head doesn't compute because the control system operating your head rebels against the constraints imposed by the need to position your head to work the mouse or mirror properly. A formula for neck aches as the two systems collide.

 

What's wrong with DOT helmet standards? Seem good as far as I've read for tourers although there are some critics of Snell.

[bobbybob]

What if you got the 2 "cranial inputs" confused---forgot which was which? Could be interesting....

[Morrie]

It reminds me of those little helmet mounted bicycle mirrors. they're kinda handy, but you're not gonna be doing any sight-seeing with it.... (ie. don't expect too much with the reevu)

 

It's difficult to explain. The mirror is mounted on a track that can be raised or lowered, then it can be rotated on its longitude to produce the right viewing angle. I'm able to get rear vision in the periphery with the Reevu, which is how it's intended to work, but only by lowering the mirror so much that the superstructure below it interferes with my forward vision. I have a hunch that the one I received was not calibrated properly. Reevu has spent several years and lot of money developing this system, and I'm pretty sure it will work for most people. I just hope they can get it to work for me. They told me that they are anxious to get it and figure out the problem.

 

[Peter Parts]

Do you have to adjust your head to get the desired rear-aimed image in view or keep it in view?

 

If so, then the continuous unconscious postural adjustments your head HAS to do continuously and necessarily will conflict with the demands of the mirror system.

 

If not, then it is a cleverer system than I can invent.

 

[Morrie]

The rear image is designed to be in your peripheral vision above the forward vision area, so should not require any head adjustment. Ideally you should be able to see it with even less upward glance than a car mirror requires. The two pictures I posted earlier in this thread show the image that should appear.

I'm particularly interested in this concept, because four of the seven vertebra in my neck have been fused and my head motion is somewhat limited. I can do a head turn roughly 45 degrees behind my shoulders, which is sufficient when combined with a good mirror setup, but the Reevu obviously would add a welcome element.

 

Earlier I posted a thread about the Metrovex mirrors I have discovered, which are truly marvelous. Roughly the inner two thirds are flat, but then they curve forward at the tips. The result is a complete elimination of blind spots. Any approaching traffic from behind stays in the mirror until it is in your peripheral vision. It's very easy to gauge the position and distance of traffic to the rear, both day and night. I haven't eschewed the head turn with these mirrors, but I know I could if I wanted to. I have about 1,000 miles on them now, and have yet to lose sight of any traffic to my rear.

[Peter Parts]

As I understand it from looking at the video, you look at an image that is "tied" to your helmet (and so moves naturally with your head, wherever your head is) and the "camera" or receiving mechanism is on the back of the helmet?

 

If so, you still have to manipulate your head to keep the "camera" pointing back? If so, you have that conflict of natural postural reflexes and the need to control the "camera" direction.

 

Although the manufacturer says you need to learn to use it, from my experience with the head-mouse and my poor grasp of postural reflexes, learning wouldn't help much. The postural reflexes will forever conflict with the pointing requirements.

 

Perhaps one difference is that with the head-mouse, you always need to have the mouse on-call and every random head move shoves the screen pointed awry. While with the Reevu, you can ignore the rear-view picture and just attend to it when you intuitively sense it will pointed where you want it and when you need it. That difference might validate the value of the Reevu.

 

In a truck (where you seriously rely on the mirrors), those moments when the truck mirrors aren't "working" to display stuff (like on a sharp curve), give me a terror. Don't know how often that would be the case with the Reevu.