Bell Helmets With 360fly 360-Degree Video Technology

BRG Sports, Inc., a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories, announced on February 25th that it has entered into an agreement with Vista Outdoor, Inc. under which Vista Outdoor will acquire the Action Sports business (including the Bell, Giro, Blackburn and C-Preme brands) for $400 million in cash plus an earn-out related to the future performance of the powersports business and subject to a customary working capital adjustment. Vista Outdoor is a leading global designer, manufacturer and marketer in the growing outdoor sports and recreation markets. The divesture is expected to close in the next 30-60 days, subject to normal regulatory approvals.

Action-sports helmet industry leaders, BRG Sports, and 360-degree camera innovators, 360fly, recently announced a formal partnership to develop a line of advanced helmets, featuring 360fly’s stitchless, single-lens 360-degree video capture technology.

Collaborative efforts are already underway on a line of co-branded, 360fly-integrated helmets across several of BRG Sports’ core brands and sport categories. The end result will be first-of-their-kind helmets that feature fully integrated 4K 360-degree video capable of capturing, editing and sharing content via the 360fly mobile app. Plans are to unveil a full line of working prototypes in early January at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

“Action cameras have become standard hardware for riders of all types, and the integration of 360-degree camera within helmets makes perfect sense and creates significant efficiencies and economies for these action-minded consumers,” said Peter Adderton, 360fly CEO. “Having been at the forefront of helmet innovation and technology for decades, BRG Sports was the ideal partner for us, and we’re extremely proud to be associated with such a respected family of brands.”

“The implications and possibilities of integrating video technology within helmets are profound,” said Terry Lee, Executive Chairman & CEO, BRG Sports. “360fly’s stitchless, single-lens camera combined with the immediacy of its mobile technology, is a game-changer for the personal video space. We believe this has the potential to advance the industry into an entirely new realm.”

No longer will consumers be forced to mount action cameras to helmets utilizing external mounting accessories, or wait until they are at their PCs to download, edit and share footage. Instead, users will simply activate the helmet’s integrated single-lens 360-degree camera to capture footage, and use 360fly’s proprietary mobile app to instantly edit and share the immersive high-definition 360-degree footage they capture, whether carving through snow, tearing up the dirt, or cruising the open road.

While the introduction of integrated video is certainly a game-changer, it’s merely the first step toward the development of “smart” helmets, characterized by a variety of intuitive digital features. 360fly’s immersive single-lens camera technology enables the development of a variety of intuitive capabilities driven by motion-sensor, GPS and “machine learning” technologies. Development of these additional features will be an ongoing process.

“Because our lens is seeing virtually everything in all directions, it allows us to develop and build in additional features that allow the helmet to literally communicate, delivering valuable information regarding the surrounding environment, navigation and other types of data relevant to the rider,” said Adderton. “Ultimately, the helmets will be much like today’s mobile devices, allowing users to enjoy incremental benefits and features through software updates.”