Frustrated by the daily chaos of Bengaluru’s roads, a local software engineer named Pankaj decided to take matters into his own hands— literally by hacking his motorcycle helmet. He turned his headgear into a mobile, AI-powered enforcement tool that catches traffic offenders in real-time, and it’s already caught the eye of the city’s top cops.
Pankaj shared his "vigilante tech" on X, explaining that he was simply fed up with reckless drivers. Using a Raspberry Pi and custom computer vision models, the helmet automatically spots violations like riding without a helmet, driving on the wrong side of the road, and obscured license plates. The system doesn't just see the crime; it logs the location and flags the evidence. In his post, he issued a blunt warning to fellow commuters: "BLR people— so now ride safe or regret it."
While many saw it as a cool DIY project, things got serious when the Bengaluru City Police actually slid into his DMs. Pankaj posted a screenshot showing a message from the Commissioner’s office, calling his concept "innovative and interesting" and expressing a genuine interest in seeing how it works. It’s a rare instance of a major law enforcement agency looking to a frustrated citizen's “garage project” for potential road safety solutions.
Naturally, the project has sparked a massive debate online. On one side, people are cheering for any solution that brings accountability to the city’s lawless traffic. On the other, critics are raising red flags about privacy and the ethics of a "snitch-tech" system being used by private citizens. Regardless of where you stand, Pankaj’s experiment has forced a conversation about whether civic tech can solve urban headaches that traditional policing hasn't quite managed to fix.
Also read: After wife’s suicide, Bengaluru man ends life in Nagpur
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