There are not a lot of technology startups working on hardware in Pakistan and the ones that are can be counted on fingers. It’s not due to a lack of talent, but due to a lack of resources available for developing hardware in the country.
However, there are some exceptional startups that are working, and succeeding, at developing amazing products. One of these is “Lets Innovate”, a local hardware startup working on a smart helmet for motorcyclists.
HELLI is a “Smart Helmet” made by “Lets Innovate”. Its purpose is to not only protect your head from collisions better than an ordinary helmet would but also to keep you connected at the same time.
The team behind it comprises of numerous veterans and entrepreneurs from the Pakistani industry. The CEO of Lets Innovate, Ali Syed, has a vast experience in managing products relating to automation and robotics.
“We as a team came together back in 2015, with a vision to do something different in the field of technology on our own terms,” said Ali.
Lets Innovate was selected as a part of Jazz’s XLR8 program and also made it as one of the top 10 teams selected for Internet of Things at 4YFN, Mobile World Congress. Currently, they are housed at the National Incubation Center as incubator’s first cohort. They have previously worked on numerous products and have also delved in the field of home automation.
The idea of making a smart helmet for motorcyclists came to them when one of their co-founders almost having a tragic accident while riding a bike.
That triggered something across the team and that’s when they decided to make HELLI, a brand new take on the fairly old concept of a helmet.
HELLI comes with built-in Bluetooth, speakers, heart-rate sensor, dash cam, as well as GPS. It is also weather resistant and has an aerodynamic design.
It even comes with indicators on the back, which function through a small device that can be clamped on your bike’s indicators. When was the last time you saw a motorbike with actual working indicators in the streets of Karachi?
You can stay connected to your smartphone and take calls while riding the bike without any worries, listen to music, and keep a track of your heart rate. It comes with its own mobile app through which you can see your past location history.
The best part about this smart helmet is the shock/fall detection feature in case of an accident, which can automatically connect to emergency services with your current GPS location. It works by connecting to your phone via Bluetooth and calling the numbers you have saved in the app.
HELLI hasn’t been commercially launched yet and there is no word on how much it will cost either. The aim, according to Ali, is to keep it affordable while providing exceptional customer service.
