Shoei GT-Air 3 Smart helmet drops with built-in AR for $1,500

When the GT-Air 3 Smart helmet debuted at EICMA last year, plenty of people questioned whether it would ever actually make its way to shop shelves. Lo and behold, it finally has!The helmet has been developed through a collaboration between Shoei and Eyelights, a company best known for making GPS, heads-up display, and Bluetooth audio kits, and the one-off eccentric concept based on the Triumph Rocket.That’s a bold move from a prestige manufacturer like Shoei. Having built helmets since 1959, Shoei isn't a startup taking a wild gamble on an untested product line. There’s little room for error for a brand of this caliber, but this release has the potential to reshape the helmet market going forward. Navigation, calls, speed metrics? All in front of your eyesEyelights / Shoei The GT-Air 3 is a logical starting point, given it’s one of Shoei’s top sellers. What makes it “smart” is its ability to project crucial information, such as GPS navigation, speed, calls, and music, directly onto the visor. With Google Assistant and Siri built in, you can issue voice commands without touching your phone.The key feature is the projected image, which appears at a focal distance of roughly 3 m (9.8 ft) in front of you. Because your eyes don't need to re-focus on a close object, you can absorb navigation data while keeping your visual attention squarely on the road ahead.The hardware setup includes an optic module that slots neatly into the center of the helmet, an antenna, a noise-canceling microphone, speakers, a battery offering over 10 hours of runtime, and side controls. It also functions as a universal intercom system that is compatible with other brands and isn't restricted by range or group size.Underneath the tech, the underlying lid remains a high-end touring helmet. It features an AIM shock-absorbing shell, a multi-density EPS liner, ECE 22/06 homologation, an Emergency Quick Release System (EQRS), and a Pinlock-ready CNS-1C visor. Comfort features include an internal QSV-2 sun visor and multiple ventilation channels with closable brow and chin intakes alongside rear exhaust vents. What's included in the kitEyelights / Shoei The head-up display (HUD) remains the focal point. The flaw with looking down at a phone or handlebar-mounted GPS display isn't that the data is hard to read, it's that your eyes leave the road. On a motorcycle, spending even a fraction of a second looking down can have far more severe consequences than it does behind the wheel of a car.Despite the tech, the system doesn't turn the helmet into a clunky wearable smartphone. Instead, it aims to make the underlying hardware vanish into the helmet's design. The communications unit is integrated directly into the shell structure to preserve aerodynamics. The bulky, externally mounted comms unit is gone.EyeLights’ system relies on a full-color Nano-OLED display rated up to 5,000 nits for high-sunlight visibility. The distraction of dipping your chin to read an instrument cluster is gone. The GT-Air 3 Smart integrates a comms device staright into your lidEyelights / Shoei Riders already face endless distractions: buzzing phones, vibrating smartwatches, route updates, comms chatter, and changing playlists. A standard Bluetooth intercom helps by providing audio prompts, but audio alone can be ambiguous at complex intersections. A HUD bridges that gap by placing simple visual cues directly where you are already looking.All in, buying the GT-Air 3 SMART helmet alongside the EyeLights HUD unit comes out to roughly US$1,500. That's nearly double the ~$779 cost of a standard GT-Air 3. For that price difference, you could easily buy a high-end intercom system, a standalone GPS unit, and still have cash left over for a few tanks of fuel. The GT-Air 3 Smart was initially revealed at last year's EICMAEyelights / Shoei However, none of those alternatives can float live navigation cues directly into your field of view while you're cruising down the highway. Whether that seamless safety integration is worth the extra $700+ comes down to personal preference, and it's a piece of tech most riders will want to test in person before making the investment.Source: Shoei