You can’t order one from your supplier just yet, but a hard hat that beeps warnings to its wearer when construction machinery approaches is in development. According to news reports, the hat issues loud, irritating, beeps that cannot be ignored even on noisy jobsites nor by workers wearing ear protection.

The so-called SmartHat looks like a normal hard hat but holds a microprocessor that is activated by radiowaves sent out by any machinery equipped with special transmitters. It works without batteries, which are prone to failure in high and low temperatures or extreme conditions.

The SmartHat is being developed by Matt Reynolds, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering of Duke University, and Jochen Teizer, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Georgia Tech. They note that the use of radio waves to activate remote electronic devices wasn’t practical in the past because the strength of the waves quickly dissipates. That has changed, they say, with improved silicone technology that can work with small amounts of radio wave energy.

The beeping device, including a small circuit board, weighs only 23 grams, or less than an ounce. It is mounted on Velcro inside the top of the hat and beeps faster as a machine moves closer.

Reynolds and Teizer have produced several prototypes of the hat, which they say helps reduce the risks posed by poor sight lines and loud noises on construction sites. The hat is being tested at several construction sites in Georgia.