The tyre company Michelin has developed a bike light that creates a halo of light on the ground around a cyclist, in order to make them more visible to drivers.
The company says the light is a visual reminder of how much space to give when passing, although to our eyes, the light falls rather close to the rider.
It’s also debateable how well these sorts of projection lights work - although Transport for London has invested heavily in installing a forward-projected green bike sign on all its ‘Boris’ hire bikes.
The light, an open source project where common components can be purchased, will soon be available to be downloaded and printed using standard 3D printers.
BikeSphere uses two laser units on the front and back of the bike to project moving rings around the cyclist. If a driver comes too close, the projection intensifies to three times the amount of light, alerting both rider and motorist.
For the DIY enthusiast, the components used are:
- 3 Arduino Pro Mini
- 2 L928B motor controlers
- 2 Laser controlers
- 2 Maxboti proximity sensors
- 16 Miniature Laser Diode Modules - PL-Series
- 1 Xiaomi power bank 10000mah
According to Michelin, “BikeSphere is the first idea of the #TrendyDrivers movement, a Michelin initiative to promote road safety among Millenial audiences.”
After an unpromising start, having to be bribed by her parents to learn to ride without stabilisers, Sarah became rather keener on cycling in her university years, and was eventually persuaded to upgrade to proper road cycling by the prospect of a shiny red Italian bike, which she promptly destroyed by trapping a pair of knickers in the rear derailleur. Sarah writes about about cycling every weekend on road.cc.