Beeping Hardhats Designed To Prevent Construction Accidents

A Duke University Professor is working on creating a device that will keep the construction workplace safer:A hard hat that beeps! Matt Reynolds, a Computer and Electrical Engineering Assistant Professor at Duke has created a prototype he calls the “Smart Hat.” The principal of the Smart Hat is similar to the beeping noise that is common regarding trucks backing up. Reynolds believes that although the beeping of trucks is a good safety practice, the Smart Hat would take that principal to a different level. The Smart Hat would be immune to the distractions that frequently lead to construction accidents. It would beep when construction equipment is nearing the construction worker that is wearing the hat. The Smart Hat is powered by radio frequency and would act as an alert specific to the construction worker. The Smart Hat is in the early stages of development and may be commercially available in the near future.