Guardian Helmet to Save Lives

August 7th, 2014

It's the Google Glass for motorcyclists.

A new high-tech helmet could change the way riders take to the road, and combines augmented reality with several other high-tech features to keep bikers safe.

The helmet, called the Guardian GA-1, is the brainchild of Ryan Shearman, the founder and CEO of Fusar Tech.

"Riding in the city is akin to running with the bulls," the 27-year-old Hoboken resident told the Daily News. "It takes quite a brave individual to ride a bike in Manhattan."

Shearman — who grew up riding hogs — was himself in a motorcycle crash in 2012. After he left luxury brand David Yurman, he found himself with a severance package and a great idea to make a helmet that would not only protect the rider but actively help prevent accidents.

The Guardian -— which Shearman hopes will be on the market by summer or fall of 2015 -— offers several high-tech specs that are one part RoboCop and another part Iron Man, Included are a heads-up display, or HUD, system, as well as live video feeds to the front and back of the motorcyclist, which can alert the rider about a possible accident.

The Department of Transportation-certified helmet will also come with a service similar to OnStar — the driver will be contacted if a crash is detected.

Shearman said that as a born-and-raised New Yorker, he knew exactly what was at stake, and how much distraction a cyclist could handle.

"The people who are concerned with (the distraction) are the people who don't ride motorcycles," he told The News.

"First and foremost, my means of countering that is putting (the helmet) on someone's head."

The entrepreneur currently works out of a collaborative space in Cliffton, N.J., after receiving seed money to relocate and bring on more workers.

He and his team recently presented the helmet at this year's Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara, Calif., and he said the response was encouraging. That's some very good news for the young CEO, who has plans to license the helmet to other companies and eventually have the Guardian sold around the globe.

When asked which pop culture technology he thinks the Guardian most resembles, Shearman paused

"My friends all know me as a big fan of the 'Iron Man' franchise. I don't like being in that territory, because I don't want to be that guy."

But, he added, "There is a parallel there. Tony (Stark) was building a suit that enabled him to do certain things."