The eHat team needed to prove that effective two-way communication via a safety helmet was achievable. To do that we needed to prove the feed was visually reliable and did not suffer from latency. This meant developing compression software as well as prototype hardware that included a camera, microphone, battery and processing. Squeezing this all into the confines of a great looking concept hardhat was achieved by our talented friends at Katapult Design.
On the electronics front the key challenges in the design were the integration of many components into the wheel space available (motor, electronics, battery, mechanics) and the coordination of the wheel behaviour without the benefit of a physical wired connection between them.
Most importantly, the system had to be easy to use and last for 27 holes before needing to be recharged.