At a Glance

• 2nd place nationally out of 80 finalists at SASECOM 2026
• Built by 3 students from ITB's Industrial Engineering class of 2023
• Works with any SNI-standard helmet  no structural changes needed
• Combines 3 sensor types: PPG, accelerometer, and gyroscope

You're on a motorbike, eyes half-open, three seconds from home. That's exactly when microsleep hits  and it's exactly the gap a new device from Bandung is trying to close.

SADAR Helmet is an IoT-based smart helmet add-on created by Team iConic, three students from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), designed to detect early signs of drowsiness in motorcycle riders before they lose control. The team  Mahesya Friemay Romadhoni, Muhammad Yasser Saputro, and Rizky Miftah Alfiah, all from the Industrial Engineering program, class of 2023  built the device as part of their entry to the Smart Safety Competition (SASECOM) 2026, organized by the OSH Forum at Universitas Diponegoro's Faculty of Public Health in Semarang. Out of 80 finalists nationwide in the Scientific Paper category, Team iConic placed second.

If you've ever caught yourself nodding off at a red light, you already understand the problem this is trying to solve.

What Does the SADAR Helmet Actually Do?

The "SADAR" attachment clips onto the side of a standard SNI-certified helmet without altering its structure  meaning riders don't have to swap out their existing safety gear to use it. Inside, it packs three sensor types working together: a Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that reads the rider's heart rate and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) through the skin, plus an accelerometer and gyroscope that track head movement and posture.

When the system detects patterns associated with fatigue irregular heart rhythm combined with head-nodding or sudden tilts  it triggers a response through vibration, sound alerts, and a visible warning LED that signals nearby riders too. A push-button lets the wearer manually acknowledge the alert, similar to dismissing a smartphone notification, but for staying alive on the highway.

"Microsleep is a real, urgent problem in Indonesia  especially for motorcycle riders, who make up the majority of our national accident statistics," said team member Mahesya Friemay Romadhoni.

Why Did These ITB Students Build This?

Motorcycle accidents tied to fatigue and lost awareness are one of Indonesia's most persistent road safety problems, and most riders never realize a microsleep episode is coming until it's too late. Team iConic was already studying occupational health and safety topics in their Product Development and Business coursework, which is where the idea took shape.

According to team member Rizky Miftah Alfiah, the hardest part wasn't the concept  it was the timeline. The team had to write a full scientific paper, design a prototype using SolidWorks and AutoCAD, and validate the safety claims against existing research, all within a tight competition window.

How Much Does the SADAR Helmet Cost  and Is It Available Yet?

As of now, SADAR Helmet exists as a research prototype, not a commercial product, so there's no retail price yet. Team iConic has said they're hoping to develop the device further  adding mobile app integration, GPS tracking, cloud-based monitoring, and AI-driven detection accuracy  and are looking to partner with helmet manufacturers, automotive companies, or government safety agencies to eventually bring it to market.

For now, the only place to see it is in photos and on ITB's official channels, where the helmet's bright pink "SADAR" module stands out against its grey shell like a warning light that never sleeps.