I invented Rideye: The Black Box Camera For Cyclists. Ask me anything!
- Thread starter cedricbosch
- Start date
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cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
can it make coffee and tea cakes?
Well you did say to ask anything
Well you did say to ask anything
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
If you were the sort that runs over cyclists and fecks off, wouldn't you just nick the camera?
Or if anyone else was about you could pretend to help and just pocket the camera and then say 'bloody cyclists, came out of nowhere, etc..."
Or if anyone else was about you could pretend to help and just pocket the camera and then say 'bloody cyclists, came out of nowhere, etc..."
Dayvo
just passin' through
- Location
- 59° 50′ 5.55″ N, 10° 47′ 41.89″ E
Yeah, the kind of person who dents a car in a car park, then buggers off without leaving a note on the windscreen with driver's details and insurance co. tel. no.
Cycling Dan
Cycle Crazy
My initial thoughts
Design:
Poor design really. Its like a brick but least its flattish and not tall. . Personally I would of liked to see a bullet type shape and it makes it easier to place and gives usability. Take Contour for example.
I want to see a strength test of the design as well. This will allow me to see how it preforms while recording then have the footage reviewed to make sure the internals didn't fail. Something flimsy will not do any good in a crash.
Blackbox
I don't see anything here blackbox related what so ever. A blackbox on an aircraft records speed, altitude and other information. This camera does none of that apart from saving a file from being deleted when a crash is detected. I see this as a pointless feature as most cameras don't over right files to create new ones when the card is full. If they run out of space they just stop recording( some don't though and do the prior). So calling it a blackbox is wrong as it is not. Its just a camera with a save switch which really doesn't need to be there.
Onto another thing a crash does not always happen from the front. If it was from the side or rear it renders the camera useless so to suggest it will protect "you from hit-and-runs and false claims" is a bend of the truth as it depends one what it sees. A idea came out for a helmet camera which recorded 360 degrees using 4 lens and this would be more up to the job but that comes at a larger price tag.
Video Quality
The first thing I noticed was that it was 720p. That is disappointing for a camera which has the sole base of capturing footage to secure number plates. From the sample footage we can see that it had trouble spotting plates unless they were right in front of the camera. I would expect 1080P at least. Also 120 degree of FOV I find low considering you're competition has 170. 120 is a more narrow field of view by a huge proportion, I know when I use my camera I find 125 degrees on my roam was too narrow to accurately capture footage. 120 degrees will leave a lot to the imagination.
Onto another thing about the lens. The footage is very soft especially at the sides of the camera which is expected with some but not all. It is really soft. Take the second video for example at 0:43. The car to the left is a a few feet away but the camera cant make out the plate. So a side on hit or a side on view of the plate could cause some issue. The camera needs to be pointed directly at something to capture it well. 1:17 is another example. You have to be right on the bumper of the car to make out the plate. The detailed quality you need is just not there.
Night footage is grainy but not too bad.
Price
$149 ~£100. Not an unreasonable price. However given performance and all points above I wouldn't pay that for it. I have seen better performance from the Contour roam for the same price. So in turn this camera has no competitive price over its competition.
Mounting
Release pictures of all the mounts. Good mounts can be just as important as the design and footage quality of the camera and the sony AS15 is testament to that.
Overall judgement
From what I have read and see I have not seen anything which gives this camera an edge. It seems like another addition to the already inflated number of action cameras with this one taking a high low end or low middle end of the market. This is not a blackbox camera but an attempt of an action camera. Given the footage seen I have some doubts over its ability to do the job it was designed for. Raw footage could clear this up. Onto price, I know of cameras better suited and that better perform for the same price. Its just another camera which records what is in front of it at a narrow view. The footage is just too soft, it is not sharp enough.
Sorry if these seems hyper critical but you're product wont improve if I just praise it.
Design:
Poor design really. Its like a brick but least its flattish and not tall. . Personally I would of liked to see a bullet type shape and it makes it easier to place and gives usability. Take Contour for example.
I want to see a strength test of the design as well. This will allow me to see how it preforms while recording then have the footage reviewed to make sure the internals didn't fail. Something flimsy will not do any good in a crash.
Blackbox
I don't see anything here blackbox related what so ever. A blackbox on an aircraft records speed, altitude and other information. This camera does none of that apart from saving a file from being deleted when a crash is detected. I see this as a pointless feature as most cameras don't over right files to create new ones when the card is full. If they run out of space they just stop recording( some don't though and do the prior). So calling it a blackbox is wrong as it is not. Its just a camera with a save switch which really doesn't need to be there.
Onto another thing a crash does not always happen from the front. If it was from the side or rear it renders the camera useless so to suggest it will protect "you from hit-and-runs and false claims" is a bend of the truth as it depends one what it sees. A idea came out for a helmet camera which recorded 360 degrees using 4 lens and this would be more up to the job but that comes at a larger price tag.
Video Quality
The first thing I noticed was that it was 720p. That is disappointing for a camera which has the sole base of capturing footage to secure number plates. From the sample footage we can see that it had trouble spotting plates unless they were right in front of the camera. I would expect 1080P at least. Also 120 degree of FOV I find low considering you're competition has 170. 120 is a more narrow field of view by a huge proportion, I know when I use my camera I find 125 degrees on my roam was too narrow to accurately capture footage. 120 degrees will leave a lot to the imagination.
Onto another thing about the lens. The footage is very soft especially at the sides of the camera which is expected with some but not all. It is really soft. Take the second video for example at 0:43. The car to the left is a a few feet away but the camera cant make out the plate. So a side on hit or a side on view of the plate could cause some issue. The camera needs to be pointed directly at something to capture it well. 1:17 is another example. You have to be right on the bumper of the car to make out the plate. The detailed quality you need is just not there.
Night footage is grainy but not too bad.
Price
$149 ~£100. Not an unreasonable price. However given performance and all points above I wouldn't pay that for it. I have seen better performance from the Contour roam for the same price. So in turn this camera has no competitive price over its competition.
Mounting
Release pictures of all the mounts. Good mounts can be just as important as the design and footage quality of the camera and the sony AS15 is testament to that.
Overall judgement
From what I have read and see I have not seen anything which gives this camera an edge. It seems like another addition to the already inflated number of action cameras with this one taking a high low end or low middle end of the market. This is not a blackbox camera but an attempt of an action camera. Given the footage seen I have some doubts over its ability to do the job it was designed for. Raw footage could clear this up. Onto price, I know of cameras better suited and that better perform for the same price. Its just another camera which records what is in front of it at a narrow view. The footage is just too soft, it is not sharp enough.
Sorry if these seems hyper critical but you're product wont improve if I just praise it.
glasgowcyclist
Charming but somewhat feckless
- Location
- Scotland
Here's what's already on the market from Roadhawk at £149.94.
http://cycle.roadhawk.co.uk/
As with the Rideye, at 720p the ability to record number plates at a reasonable distance isn't there. I'll stick to my Contour HD.
GC
http://cycle.roadhawk.co.uk/
As with the Rideye, at 720p the ability to record number plates at a reasonable distance isn't there. I'll stick to my Contour HD.
GC
cedricbosch
Member
Thanks for your detailed commentary. I'll definitely take your points into consideration while improving the design.
I think I've been unclear about how this differs from an action cam. Action cams record until their card is full, and then you have to format the card on your computer before you can keep recording. With Rideye, the camera makes room for new footage automatically. This means you need a crash detection sensor to prevent important files from being overwritten. Action cams get 2-3 hours of battery life, Rideye gets 24.
These features combined make it great for someone who is looking for a camera specifically to record their rides. You charge it once in a blue moon, and it's dead easy to use. It just sits on your bike and does its thing until you need footage from it.
cedricbosch
Member
The problem with the Road Hawk is that it will record over your crash footage files, since it doesn't have a crash detection sensor. Actually, this might not be an issue since the battery life is only 90 minutes, as compared to Rideye's 24 hours.
cedricbosch
Member
Great questions. I'll try to answer them as best I can:
1. 70% of accidents happen from the front, such as a car turning left in front of a cyclist (the most common bike accident). Source below. That said, I understand that some people want more than just coverage on the front- that's why we offer the two-pack with a seatpost mount.
2. When determining fault, the most improtant evidence is video of the incident. The metrics you mentioned can be extrapolated from the video by measuring reference points and using simple mathematics. This is a technique already used in vehicular accident investigations, except the only evidence they have to work with is skidmarks.
3. That's true- Rideye isn't a force field! But it does prevent the driver from speeding away with all the responsibility left on your shoulders. Also, Rideye turns off 5 minutes after the crash was detected, so the impotant footage you refer to would definitely be recorded.
Let me know if I can help answer anything else!
Cedric
Source- http://www.lightandmotion.com/bike/SafetyArticle.pdf
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
In your video the text explains:
And for that reason "I'm out"
While that is unfortunate(if true), how does Rideye prevent "fear" within it's user? How can you possibly make such a promise, when you can never know what will happen on the road?
Does it remove drivers from vehicles?
It's not the first black box because all it is,is a box that is black.(GPS?) and it's certainly not the first camera. The ability to save important segments of video has been around for years, and without the premise of making cycling safer.
If the lens happens to be pointing at it. Thus not every detail can be captured depending on the incident/accident/crash
You say it makes cycling safer, but the product has to detect a crash before anything happens. Then it's failed to meet your claims right?
And for that reason "I'm out"
cedricbosch
Member
Great points, Regular and T.M.H.N.E.T. I understand that you've decided this product isn't for you personally, and I'm not here to convince you otherwise. I do believe that cyclists will greatly benefit from having a set-and-forget safety video camera, regardless of what you call it. Once we hit a critical number of these units, cars will begin to drive more conservatively, knowing their actions might be recorded.
On a side note, Rideye is now closing in on $75k on Kickstarter! I'm really looking forward to bringing this product to market. The feedback I've received from backers and forum posts like these has been really helpful. Thanks for making this whole campaign such a success.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rideye/rideye-the-black-box-camera-for-your-bike/?ref=kicktraq
Regular, do you have any links to the international crash statistics you reference? That would be really helpful. I've researched that topic heavily and have only found a few good papers.
On a side note, Rideye is now closing in on $75k on Kickstarter! I'm really looking forward to bringing this product to market. The feedback I've received from backers and forum posts like these has been really helpful. Thanks for making this whole campaign such a success.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rideye/rideye-the-black-box-camera-for-your-bike/?ref=kicktraq
Regular, do you have any links to the international crash statistics you reference? That would be really helpful. I've researched that topic heavily and have only found a few good papers.
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U
User6179
Guest
I would put some money aside for the possible lawsuits that will come your way if this device fails when someone is knocked down and they have no footage !
The claims you are making I think would leave you wide open !
The claims you are making I think would leave you wide open !
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
People will back anything on kickstarter. The product is just another camera... and an ugly one at that.
what i like most is they it saves crash evidence which a lot of you may not have thought about... If you are dead who is gonna save your evidence? At least your relatives can take this and get the footage. Not all helmet cams automatically save... Mine doesn't.
my thoughts are... It needs to be waterproof, vibration proof, shock/crash proof, GPS, HD and give a view in all directions (ie could you have tiny cameras elsewhere on the bike that link back to the main box?) then i think you will have it licked.
my thoughts are... It needs to be waterproof, vibration proof, shock/crash proof, GPS, HD and give a view in all directions (ie could you have tiny cameras elsewhere on the bike that link back to the main box?) then i think you will have it licked.
