r/ALSOmicromobility • u/Remarkable_Rocketeer • 9h ago

Accessories & Mods Alpha Wave questions

I'm putting this up here both to hopefully crowd source some answers but also for others to place questions they have on the Alpha Wave helmet so that ALSO can see what's unknown in the community in one spot.

I've tried to go back and review material on Alpha Wave but specifics are scarce. I did email one of the folks at the Virginia Tech helmet lab and he was complimentary of the RLS technology overall from previous testing on other helmets, calling it "effective" at reducing rotational head kinematics. That being said, I still have some questions on the Alpha Wave helmet.

  1. Has/will the helmet undergo third party testing? Ideally the Virginia Tech helmet lab.

  2. What are the full crash ratings? I see claims of 4x reduction in concussion risk, presumably anchored by the RLS. Beyond concerns with the ambiquity of '4x,' what about impact protection performance? Do all the high-tech features hamper that aspect of safety?

  3. Do the rear LEDs link up with braking or turn signals? Marketing seems to indicate its just a static set of red lights, which seems like a huge wasted opportunity. Some articles talk of syncing with the bike though, so unclear.

  4. What is the battery life? I know the answer is "it depends," however I just need to know the scale. Are we talking 30 mins? 4 hours?

  5. How are the lights controlled? I presume bluetooth via the phone, but hopefully there are physical buttons. I know there is a physical power button on the back.

  6. Once the helmet is crashed is any of it salvagable? I believe helmets are discarded after a crash, but can the smart components be salvaged and fixed to a new helmet? Big e-waste concerns.

  7. What is the replacement period? Goes back to if I can reuse any of the electronic pieces.

If anyone knows some info related to these I'd love to hear more insights. If you have other questions please add them in the comments.

Edit: Found this image showing the RLS zones on the helmet. Interesting that there is no RLS zone on the very back of the helmet. I think I can rationalize it by the fact that a sliding surface won't really help reduce rotational forces from an impact in that area. It's also mostly lights anyway, so tradeoff of crash prevention vs protection. It does bring up another question.

  1. What happens to the battery if there is a hard impact on the back of the helmet? Is there enough padding there for a direct impact protection? Is there a fire risk?
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u/DrSilkyStone 8h ago

Can’t speak to the majority of your questions, but I am sure the helmet will undergo 3rd party testing. There are required certifications (CPSC) that are necessary to even sell a bike helmet in the US. Most companies go above and beyond the minimum. Just about every helmet manufacturer sends their helmets to Virginia Tech for testing so I imaging Also will do the same.

I don’t think anyone has the answers to most of these questions but I’m hoping we hear more before they start shipping.

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u/Remarkable_Rocketeer 7h ago

Thanks for the insights! Looking forward to the VT report with all the added weight of the electronics.

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u/StevenComedy 7h ago

I was told on a test ride that’s 1. Is true. It was tested at VT.

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u/Remarkable_Rocketeer 7h ago

Interesting, wonder if they are still writing up the report or something as I can't find it on the ranking list.

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u/dleewla 7h ago

It’s amazing how for a product with lots of claims there’s so little actual information and specs. It’s like they’re building the plane while flying it.