Smart Helmet Evolved with OLEDoS Technology: Shoei GT-Air 3 Smart Unveiled
Japanese premium helmet manufacturer Shoei has set a new standard in the smart helmet market by announcing the GT-Air 3 Smart, the world’s first fully integrated augmented reality head-up display (HUD) helmet, developed in collaboration with French augmented reality specialist Airight. The core feature of this new product is its HUD, which utilizes Sony’s OLEDoS microdisplay.
GT-Air 3 Smart projecting riding data in the rider’s view (Source: SHOEI)
Conventional LCD or projection systems face limitations in size, weight, power consumption, and brightness. Within the confined space of a helmet, delivering clear information without obstructing the rider’s vision required a solution that was ultra-compact, high-resolution, and energy efficient. OLEDoS, built on a silicon substrate with OLED pixels, achieves full-color FHD resolution and 3,000nits’ brightness even in a miniature form factor. This ensures perfect visibility under direct sunlight and allows riders to intuitively access speed, navigation, and alerts without taking their eyes off the road.
HUD information is projected approximately 3 meters ahead, reducing eye focus adjustment and shortening reaction time by 32%. Battery efficiency is improved, enabling over 10 hours of mixed use, while low heat generation enhances the reliability of internal electronics. Above all, OLEDoS miniaturization enables full integration of HUD, audio, and communication modules without significantly increasing helmet weight.
Shoei has combined its AIM (Advanced Integrated Matrix) shell structure, ventilation system, and face shield with EyeLights’ communication technology, including unlimited distance and user intercom, active noise-canceling microphone, and Siri/Google Assistant support.
According to UBI Research’s analysis, this announcement is closely linked to the relevant patents held by Shoei (including US Patent 12,342,893 and EP3888482). These patents protect rights to the optical structure integrating a HUD into the helmet and the screen device. The structure describes forming virtual images within the rider’s field of view using light sources and reflective optical systems. It is designed to allow for various implementations, including OLED and MicroLED, without restricting the display elements to specific technologies. In practice, OLEDoS was chosen as the optimal solution to meet the structural requirements defined in the patents, delivering ultra-compact, high-brightness, and low-power performance.
The GT-Air 3 Smart was unveiled at EICMA 2025 and will be released in summer 2026 at a price of approximately $1,199 in the US. Shoei aims to achieve sales of 3 billion yen and operating profits of several hundred million yen within three years.
The GT-Air 3 Smart is the first commercial helmet to fully integrate HUD, communication, audio, and AI functions. With OLEDoS technology, it revolutionizes rider visibility and reaction speed, marking a milestone in innovation and leading the future of the smart helmet industry.
EyeLights HUD implementation using a Sony OLED microdisplay (Source: EyeLights)
Changho Noh, Senior Analyst at UBI Research (chnoh@ubiresearch.com)
UBI Research’s Micro Display Report
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