Voi Technology launches new helmet selfie feature

Voi Technology has launched its new helmet selfie feature, which uses AI to determine if a customer is wearing a helmet during an e-scooter ride.

It is part of a suite of recently released in-app features that encourage responsible riding habits and improve rider safety. The helmet selfie uses an image-classifier AI that can instantaneously detect if a user is wearing a helmet with 95% accuracy, Voi said.

After scanning a scooter to begin their ride, the user will be prompted to take a selfie, which unlocks the scooter. The user’s photo is then validated during the ride and if the AI confirms that the user is wearing a helmet, the user will get five loyalty points at the end of their ride. Loyalty points enable users to receive discounted rides.

“Safety remains our top priority,” said Fredrik Hjelm, co-founder and CEO of Voi. “The new helmet selfie offering is simply one component of our wider safety strategy, encompassing technological innovations such as these in-app features, rider education at pop-up safety events, our Ride Like Voila traffic school, and collaboration with local authorities to enforce safe riding behaviour that protects all road users.

“Voi believes this multi-pronged approach is the most effective way to keep our riders and communities safe. As demand for e-scooters continues to grow, we keep on working with our city partners to advocate for better road infrastructure and sustainability.

“We are excited that people are embracing micro-mobility as a form of transport that reduces carbon emissions and traffic congestion in urban areas.”

The helmet selfie is the latest addition to a lineup of recent product launches targeting rider safety. A reaction test, in which riders tap a random sequence of helmets as they appear on the screen, aims to discourage drunk riding by getting users to think twice about scooting if their cognition is impaired.

The test automatically takes effect at times of the day when people are most likely to ride under the influence. Beginner’s mode, which caps the e-scooter’s speed at 10mph, aims to help new users adjust to riding at a slower pace.

Richard Corbett, Voi’s general manager of UK and Ireland, said: “Since we began to roll out our e-scooters in the UK back in September, safety has been of the utmost importance to us, especially as our communities adjust to this new mode of transport.

“That’s why we are constantly working on new technologies and complementary solutions, such as our recent collaboration with micromobility startup Luna to provide world-first computer vision for e-scooters, to make e-scooter use safer for everyone who shares the road.

“We recommend our users to wear helmets as they play a valuable role in rider and e-scooter safety, and the helmet selfie feature fits into our growing lineup of safety tools, including the Reaction Test and the Beginner’s Mode, that serve to educate riders about making good when they take a ride.”