Design Requirements

[BrowserOne]

Provide my next of kin with coordinates if I fall off.

Sounds grim, how about just the hospital?

 

[BrowserOne]

Difficult question.

Prime safety consideration is to be able to see the road ahead and for other road users to see the cyclist. However, there are numerous good quality lighting systems out there already.

One aspect of being seen is the use of reflective materials. Pedal reflectors do this well, but do not exist in the performance pedal range and are not considered "cool" by club cyclists. Reflective slap bands are very effective.

Maybe the development of unobtrusive but reflective components could be researched.

That is a good idea, but viability is also a something i'm working on.
Is there any specif problem that faced in either seeing or being seen that i might be able to help with?

 

[BrowserOne]

Hi @BrowserOne and .

Something I want to see is a reasonably priced battery front light with easily switchable dip and main beam patterns similar to a car or motorbike.

On my bikes I'm currently using B&M Ixon IQ Premium lamps which are excellent for putting the light on the road without dazzling oncoming road users. However, commuting down pitch-dark Shropshire lanes with nobody else about I found I'd really like some extra light aimed higher and further along the road, particularly when the roads are wet and seem to soak up the light.

I'm aware of one light on the market that does the things I'd like, but that costs more than I'd ideally like to spend.

Wishlist:

• Dip beam (Puts good spread of light on road but doesn't dazzle oncoming traffic).
  
• Main beam for illuminating dark country lanes.
• Easy switching (not having to toggle through several different modes), maybe using a remote switch that can be reached without taking a hand off the bars.
• Main beam warning light (so you don't forget to dip).
• Reasonable price (Say £50 target selling price).
• Reasonable run time (not less than two hours on a charge).
• Reasonable light output (should be comparable to other similar lights on the market).
• Easily exchanged rechargable batteries (so you can carry spares for longer rides).
  
• Must be suitable for use in all weathers.

That should give you something to get your teeth into.

That's really helpful, thank you for the detail.
This is going to help me a bunch

 

[BrowserOne]

One thing I worry about when riding at night is hitting a pot-hole that I may have otherwise seen in daylight. Obvious solution would be do have a decent front light pointing at the road at, say, five meters ahead. Not exactly rocket science, I know, but if you can develop something that can pick out pot holes better than the current market offerings I would be interested.

That's interesting, can you say, in your experience, what about the current lights makes them bad for spotting pot holes?

 

[BrowserOne]

I recall a laser designed for fitting to bicycles, which projected a mesh of green lines onto the roadway ahead of the rider. The mesh dropped into potholes showing depth and size (in the same way as contour lines on a map) so that avoiding action could be taken. My googling has turned up nothing though.

Do you mean like this
Sounds expensive to make, its a good idea tho

 

[Fab Foodie]

Thanks, that's the very chap!

Edit: "Unfortunately, the Lumigrid is not available for purchase." What a shame.

Great idea!!

 

[Lozz360]

That's interesting, can you say, in your experience, what about the current lights makes them bad for spotting pot holes?

Main reason is even a bright bike light is never going to be as bright as daylight. Another reason is perhaps because what we actually see is reflected light as opposed to light itself, and a hole is not very good at reflecting light. We are more likely to see the surround of the hole rather than the hole itself which appears as a dark patch. Daylight on the other hand is multi-directional and I can see inside the pot-hole as I approach.

 

[classic33]

Sounds grim, how about just the hospital?

Or the Ambulance Service, who may end up taking you there.

 

[sleuthey]

Sounds grim, how about just the hospital?

She's getting board of hospitals after being with me for 15 years

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

That's really helpful, thank you for the detail.
This is going to help me a bunch

No problem.

Let us know how you get on. Usually we never hear back from students posting research questions and it would be fascinating to see what the eventual outcome of the project is.

 

[gilespargiter]

A device fitted to motor vehicles that makes them slow down and go round me regardless of what the driver wants. (So that they have no choice but to meet their obligation to "do no harm".).

 

[Sharky]

That is a good idea, but viability is also a something i'm working on.
Is there any specif problem that faced in either seeing or being seen that i might be able to help with?

Viability or Visibility?

Might be problems in city riding, when loads of cars & cyclists all have red lights and then cyclists don't standout.
Have used a blue flashing rear light on my commute and received a couple of complimentary remarks from motorists saying how visible I was.
It was a proper cycling light, but not necessarily legal in the UK, but as somebody said above, most effective lights being used are not strictly legal.