Trends in Smart Helmets With Multimodal Sensing for Health and Safety: Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Smart helmets function as Internet of Things (IoT) gateways, integrating advanced functionalities for connected health and safety.
• Their development promotes enhanced safety and health monitoring across various sectors.
• This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of smart helmet technology, characteristics, and applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review trends in smart helmet technology and its potential deployments.
• To explore the development of smart helmets for continuous monitoring of user health and environmental conditions.
• To identify the main purposes, domains, key features, and sensors used in smart helmets for health and safety.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was conducted using major electronic databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, EBSCO) from January 2010 to December 2021.
• 1268 papers were identified, with 57 selected based on PRISMA guidelines.
• Article quality was assessed using criteria including test environment, prototype quality, feasibility, sensor calibration, and versatility.

Main Results:

• Smart helmet research spans industrial, sports, first responder, and health tracking applications, with industrial uses being most prevalent in prototype development (32%).
• Studies frequently focused on sensor calibration (2.3/3), with feasibility testing being less emphasized (1.6/3).
• Key functions identified include activity monitoring, physiological and environmental risk sensing, and risk event alerting.

Conclusions:

• Existing smart helmet systems and sensor features are summarized, exploring new possibilities in wearable technology.
• Barriers, challenges, and future opportunities for smart helmet development in health and safety are discussed.
• The paper presents the current status, issues, and prospects for realizing the smart helmet concept.