There's a certain point where "smart" products stop being so smart, and start becoming pretty damn annoying. A smartwatch tells you to stand up. Your car tells you to stay in your lane. Your phone tells you to turn down your headphones. And if a newly published Polaris patent ever becomes reality, your helmet might be next in line.
At first glance, some of the ideas make perfect sense. The patent describes a modular smart helmet packed with GPS, radios, biometric sensors, communications hardware, lights, and removable electronic modules. Riders could communicate over mesh networks, coordinate group rides, control accessories, and even operate certain vehicle functions directly from buttons mounted on the helmet. That's all pretty reasonable. Riders already use Bluetooth communicators, action cameras, navigation systems, heated gear, and connected apps. Combining some of those functions into a single platform isn't exactly a wild leap.
