Class 11 student creates 'smart helmet' that controls bike's ignition

Khilesh Devagan lost his uncle in a bike-related accident. It made him ponder about ways to ensure those on two-wheelers always wear helmets when out and about.

Wearing a helmet has been made mandatory for both the rider and those on the backseat of two-wheelers in the country. (File Photo)

Necessity is the mother of all inventions and for Khilesh Devagan, there was no greater necessity than to see all riders on two-wheelers in his small town in Chhatisgarh wear proper safety gear on the road. The result? A smart helmet!

A student of Class 11 of JRD School in Chhatisgarh's Durg, Devagan devised a special helmet that controls when a two-wheeler would start. If the helmet if not on the head of the rider in a proper manner, the bike he or she is on just won't start. The creative and ingenious way of making riders wear a life-saving equipment was devised by simply putting a transmitter on the helmet and a receiver on the two-wheeler.

Devagan's invention has earned him a lot of praise from friends, school authorities and local administrative bodies. For the student though, it is all about promoting road safety. "No one should be on a bike without wearing a helmet, any helmet. Road accidents have become increasingly common everywhere. I thought about the best way to make people aware of road safety and that is when the idea for a smart helmet came to me," he says.

A personal tragedy also led the student to come up with his invention after his uncle- father's brother - lost his life in a road accident. The tragedy could have been prevented had he been wearing a helmet.

For now, Devagan is pleased with the applause he is receiving for his special helmet and intends to file a patent claim.