A Delhi-based startup has developed an anti-pollution helmet that can help a two-wheeler rider breathe cleaner air by filtering it.
Shellios Technolabs, which is headquartered in New Delhi, has launched a helmet that, in addition to protecting your head, will purify the air that you breathe. Aptly called Puros, the helmet has an H13 Grade HEPA filter attached to it that keeps suspended particles, such as PM2.5, from entering as a part of patented technology.
In an interview with Digit, Amit Pathak, an IIT-Roorkee alumnus who is the brain behind the air-purifying technology used in this helmet, said the air-purification system is attached behind the shell of the helmet. It uses a rechargeable battery to run. But air purification won’t begin unless you press the button.
“When you press the button on the backside, the fan fitted inside the helmet switches on, which pulls in air and passes it through a filter membrane,” Pathak was quoted as saying. “The filter sifts out PM2.5 particles, and the clean air is then circulated through the ducting to the breathing area of the bike rider. Further, there is a chin-curtain, so that the polluted air does not re-enter from the front side,” he explained.
According to tests done in New Delhi by an independent laboratory, the air purification system fitted to the helmet can filter out over 80 percent of pollutants. This is good news especially if you are driving a bike or riding a scooter for the better half of the day, primarily because your job involves it. It is also useful for shorter ride times, such as that of your commutes between your home and office, especially with the looming fear of smog as winter approaches northern India.
But implementing technology like this is not cheap, which is why Shellios’s air-purifying helmet costs Rs 4,500 — four times the price of a regular helmet. So, while health-conscious people can easily afford the helmet, the price is ambitious for the lot that primarily consists of a workforce engaged in item delivery.
Pathak admitted that the company has not been able to serve those customers and “that’s a challenge.” A cheaper model with the same functionality is what could make the brand go mainstream.
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