The invention gets its makers a place in the Limca Book of Records

An invention by a team of five mechanical engineering students of the Vidya Engineering College, Kecheri, near Thrissur, has entered the Limca Book of Records.

A unique helmet designed by the team (T.S. Aswin, C.R. Vishal, Vysakh Menon, Sushina Suresh and Anoopkumar) might be the answer to curbing drunk driving on our roads.

Customised for motorcycles, the alcohol detector integrated helmet can interfere with the bike’s kick start mechanism preventing a drunk driver from riding. The helmet has two switches-one on the strap and the other underneath the top shell. The two switches in the helmet ensure that the vehicle does not start without the rider wearing the helmet. The switches will be turned on only when the rider wears the helmet and locks the strap. It thus checks helmetless travel and bike theft as the bike will not start without the helmet.

Whenever a drunken rider wears the helmet and locks its strap, the in-built sensor detects the presence of alcohol and transmits a signal to the receiver on the motorcycle, which then interferes with the starting circuit. If the alcohol is not detected the switch in circuit gets on and will give signal to the start circuit. “Our helmet is a solution to check accidents caused due to drunken driving, says Aswin.