CLIENT
Austrian Road Safety Board (KfV)
CREDITS
Project Management: Futura GmbH
Technical & Creative Implementation of the website: Probots GmbH
3D Design, Modeling & Animation: Mindconsole
PROJECT BRIEF
Helmi has been an icon of road safety education in Austria for decades – friendly, educational, and instantly recognizable. For the relaunch of the new website (helmi.at), the popular character was to be brought to life digitally for the first time.
Together with the client, the Austrian Road Safety Board (KfV), and our partners Futura GmbH (project management) and Probots GmbH (technical and creative implementation of the website), we created a new online world that combines information and interaction in a playful way.
Our contribution: the first fully digital 3D versions of Helmi and his friends – with great attention to detail and a clear goal: to make the character appear so real that he feels familiar to viewers, even though he is now digital.
OUR APPROACH
Since Helmi had been present as a physical puppet in TV commercials and schools for decades, the biggest challenge was to translate his familiar look into 3D without losing the charm of the original. Therefore, we worked closely on the classic shapes, proportions, and facial features to ensure that the digital Helmi seamlessly connects to his analog past.
3D characters on the web not only have to look good—they also have to be lightweight, efficient, and high-performing.
To ensure that Helmi runs smoothly on tablets and smartphones, we relied on an optimized 3D pipeline:
Minimized data volumes: The models were reduced so that they retain their characteristic details while consuming little memory.
Small but precise textures: Through targeted baking and low-poly optimization, we were able to achieve realistic surfaces with minimal file sizes.
Clean rigging and animation structures: To ensure that the digital Helmi looks natural but can still be rendered in real time in the browser – without long loading times.
The result: A highly optimized 3D character that fits seamlessly into the interactive website developed by Probots and works smoothly even with limited bandwidth or older devices.
In addition to the web assets, we produced a standalone video in which the new Helmi strolls through Graz – a tribute to his origins and, at the same time, a preview of how versatile the digital Helmi can be, from social media to event projections.
THE RESULT
The new Helmi is more than just a modernization—it is the next logical step in the digital evolution of a classic.
From a cute character to a high-performance 3D character: familiar in appearance, future-proof in technology.
A project that combines nostalgia, innovation, and precision in perfect balance.
