Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40808001›Full record

ReviewSensors (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Smart Safety Helmets with Integrated Vision Systems for Industrial Infrastructure Inspection: A Comprehensive Review of VSLAM-Enabled Technologies.

Emmanuel A Merchán-Cruz, Samuel Moveh, Oleksandr Pasha, Reinis Tocelovskis, Alexander Grakovski, Alexander Krainyukov, Nikita Ostrovenecs, Ivans Gercevs, Vladimirs Petrovs

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Emmanuel A Merchán-CruzEngineering Faculty, Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Lauvas Iela 2, LV-1019 Riga, Latvia.ORCID 0000-0003-3009-2586
Samuel MovehEngineering Faculty, Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Lauvas Iela 2, LV-1019 Riga, Latvia.
Oleksandr Pasha3D Engineering SIA, Mežu Iela 41-33, LV-3405 Liepaja, Latvia.ORCID 0009-0009-5700-5332
Reinis Tocelovskis3D Engineering SIA, Mežu Iela 41-33, LV-3405 Liepaja, Latvia.ORCID 0009-0003-5602-0377
Alexander GrakovskiEngineering Faculty, Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Lauvas Iela 2, LV-1019 Riga, Latvia.ORCID 0000-0002-4400-4973
Alexander KrainyukovEngineering Faculty, Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Lauvas Iela 2, LV-1019 Riga, Latvia.
Nikita OstrovenecsEngineering Faculty, Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Lauvas Iela 2, LV-1019 Riga, Latvia.
Ivans GercevsEngineering Faculty, Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Lauvas Iela 2, LV-1019 Riga, Latvia.
Vladimirs PetrovsEngineering Faculty, Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Lauvas Iela 2, LV-1019 Riga, Latvia.

Funding

Centrālā finanšu un līgumu aģentūra (CFLA) 2.2.1.3.i.0/1/24/A/CFLA/003
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Smart safety helmets equipped with vision systems are emerging as powerful tools for industrial infrastructure inspection. This paper presents a comprehensive state-of-the-art review of such VSLAM-enabled (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) helmets. We surveyed the evolution from basic helmet cameras to intelligent, sensor-fused inspection platforms, highlighting how modern helmets leverage real-time visual SLAM algorithms to map environments and assist inspectors. A systematic literature search was conducted targeting high-impact journals, patents, and industry reports. We classify helmet-integrated camera systems into monocular, stereo, and omnidirectional types and compare their capabilities for infrastructure inspection. We examine core VSLAM algorithms (feature-based, direct, hybrid, and deep-learning-enhanced) and discuss their adaptation to wearable platforms. Multi-sensor fusion approaches integrating inertial, LiDAR, and GNSS data are reviewed, along with edge/cloud processing architectures enabling real-time performance. This paper compiles numerous industrial use cases, from bridges and tunnels to plants and power facilities, demonstrating significant improvements in inspection efficiency, data quality, and worker safety. Key challenges are analyzed, including technical hurdles (battery life, processing limits, and harsh environments), human factors (ergonomics, training, and cognitive load), and regulatory issues (safety certification and data privacy). We also identify emerging trends, such as semantic SLAM, AI-driven defect recognition, hardware miniaturization, and collaborative multi-helmet systems. This review finds that VSLAM-equipped smart helmets offer a transformative approach to infrastructure inspection, enabling real-time mapping, augmented awareness, and safer workflows. We conclude by highlighting current research gaps, notably in standardizing systems and integrating with asset management, and provide recommendations for industry adoption and future research directions.

Indexed as

helmetintegratedsafetysmartvisionVSLAM

Identifiers

PMID40808001
PMCPMC12349484

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.