Ola Scooters Will Soon Not Be Rideable Without A Helmet

This is because the brand is working on a helmet detection feature. 

• The detection will be done through a camera on-board.
• If you’re not wearing a helmet, the scooter will slide into Park mode. 
• Along with Ola, even TVS has been working on a similar system.

Although India is currently the largest market for two-wheelers, the country still faces challenges in ensuring rider safety. It is quite common to see people riding without helmets on our roads. In an effort to address this issue, Ola Electric is developing a helmet detection system for its electric two-wheelers.

Ola's helmet detection system utilizes a camera to determine whether the rider is wearing a helmet or not. This information is then transmitted to the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), which acts as the equivalent of an Engine Control Unit (ECU) in traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. The VCU, in turn, communicates with the Motor Control Unit to decide whether the vehicle should be in Ride mode or not.

If the system detects that the rider is not wearing a helmet while the vehicle is in Ride mode, the electric vehicle (EV) will automatically switch to Park mode. Once in Park mode, a notification will appear on the dashboard, reminding the rider to wear a helmet. Only when the system confirms that the rider is wearing a helmet will the VCU allow the electric scooter or bike to switch back to Ride mode, while continuing to monitor the rider's compliance.

TVS has also recently announced its work on a camera-based helmet reminder system. However, Ola's system goes a step further by preventing the vehicle from running if the rider is not wearing a helmet. In the case of TVS, a warning message is displayed to the rider, but there is no mention of the vehicle being locked in Park mode.