We need your opinion for our upcoming safety gadget for cyclists

[classic33]

You want my e-mail address..........................................................................................................sod off

Use the one at the top of the form.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

@frank-cycloshield

A couple of points:
Not everyone has a smart phone, I use a Nokia 6310i so can't run any apps.

You're wasting your time with the laser lane lines, it's a cheap gimmick that's already been done and provides no benefit.

Does your camera record all the time or only when it anticipates a collision/close pass? From the animation I found, it looks like it records only when a vehicle comes within 1.5m, which will be of limited evidential value.

I already use a Cycliq Fly6 which fulfils all my needs but I completed your survey anyway.

 

[KneesUp]

@frank-cycloshield

A couple of points:
Not everyone has a smart phone, I use a Nokia 6310i so can't run any apps.

Cracking phone - but you are in the huge minority in still using Symbian OS! It's market share - at 0.8% - was around a 75% less even than Blackberry in 2014, and I can't even find more recent stats. I don't think they will miss that market share too much

I'm pleased @frank-cycloshield has come back and answered queries - that's not what normally happens, so thanks Frank. It seems the device is in effect a rear facing dashcam for a bike, with a light built in - but which uses the sensors fitted to a phone to save on processing power / cost / weight. Would that be a fair summary?

The issue with this for me would be my phone is generally not visible when I'm cycling, so I'd be unaware if it unpaired, or ran out of battery or lost GPS. I also think selling something that provides evidence that is unlikely to be used by the authorities unless you are dead or severely injured - and even then I think there is little confidence they would use it properly - is a hard sell.

 

[Drago]

That's the share of people buying them, not still using them. I'm quite happy on my dumb phone.

 

[raleighnut]

That's the share of people buying them, not still using them. I'm quite happy on my dumb phone.

Same here.

 

[classic33]

@frank-cycloshield, how does the payment in cycloshieldcoin, cryptocurrency, work. On both this device and your other current project?

All four appear to be interlinked, and appears to have been part of the previous one mentioned as well. Are they developed in conjunction with one another? Project wise.

 

[classic33]

That's the share of people buying them, not still using them. I'm quite happy on my dumb phone.

Not the Cat S60?

 

[slowmotion]

Give Frank a break. It's better than a daft flashing indicator.

 

[Serge]

Dear cyclists,

We are a small company based in UK working on a safety gadget for bicycles with several functions. It is the only fully open source one, including hardware designs, in the market.

We have prepared a small survey to know the opinion of potential users about the most important capabilities it offers: https://goo.gl/forms/C2YhBFtMv3DQ0c2V2

That will require just a couple of minutes of your time and you will have the chance to win a CycloShield Nano when the device hits the market next Christmas.

View attachment 404883


If you have any questions you can ask us here on cyclechat


Best wishes from the CycloShield Team

Mods/Admin, please feel free to move this post to the relevant sub if General Discussion is not the right one

(Moved to Research and Questionnaires - Mods.)

Looks like a pretty cool piece of kit to me, good luck with it all.

I've filled out the questionnaire including my email address because I do get lonely and any correspondence is welcome!

 

[winjim]

Give Frank a break. It's better than a daft flashing indicator.

I was afraid it might include that.

I do quite like the idea of a combined proximity/speed sensor with a camera, but it would have to be user configurable. However, in terms of being a safety device it is just an evidence gathering device. For it to aid in improving cycling safety the courts need to use that evidence to convict dangerous drivers and impose proper sanctions with a real deterrent effect such that there is a change in attitude throughout society. A big ask for a little piece of kit.

As for recommending safer routes, I sort of see the value in that but really I feel it's not providing safer cycling, it's enabling dangerous driving.

The laser projection thing won't work. It basically defines the minimum distance you are happy to be passed. So I would think 1.5m either side and a car length front and rear. So that's a box about 3m wide by 11m long. Not happening.

 

[frank-cycloshield]

CycleChat is truly an amazing community with lots of good ideas. I'll try to answer some more messages

What is the legal passing distance and at what distance would the laser safety perimeter be projected?

The legal passing distance depends on the country but it can be configured on the App, the device will record any vehicle closer than that. Passing distance is typically 1.5 in EU law for what it's worth. The laser perimeter might not get to the final version, we are listening to the community this time but if you want technical details of how it would be we can provide them, basically we use laser modules that can project an straight line on each side of the cyclist

@frank-cycloshield

A couple of points:
Not everyone has a smart phone, I use a Nokia 6310i so can't run any apps.

You're wasting your time with the laser lane lines, it's a cheap gimmick that's already been done and provides no benefit.

Does your camera record all the time or only when it anticipates a collision/close pass? From the animation I found, it looks like it records only when a vehicle comes within 1.5m, which will be of limited evidential value.

I already use a Cycliq Fly6 which fulfils all my needs but I completed your survey anyway.

Thanks for completing the survey. That phone is a true legend but unfortunately this version of our gadget works better with the App. Now to answer your question, the cameras record a window of 30s before and after an incident is detected, being a fall, a vehicle coming too close, an abrupt sudden change of speed that could mean a collision, etc.

The 1.5m can be configured to a higher value as long as it's within the max reach of the sensors. How could we improve the evidential value? Maybe we can rewrite that bit

@frank-cycloshield, how does the payment in cycloshieldcoin, cryptocurrency, work. On both this device and your other current project?

All four appear to be interlinked, and appears to have been part of the previous one mentioned as well. Are they developed in conjunction with one another? Project wise.

CycloShieldCoin is an Ethereum token that will be used to reward cyclists for their valuable time, when they share safe routes or let us analyse data collected from the sensors for example, we will reward users with CycloShieldCoin. People wanting to build the device themselves can also get tokens for sharing tutorials, answering questions regarding assembling. Are you familiar with github? A bug hunting bounty is part of the plan but without making the token more important than the actual device

We also intend to let users buy the devices paying with it but we realise buying the token is not always feasible for people that don't know or don't care about using cryptocurrencies.

 

[classic33]

With regards the camera. What amount of storage is available, and what's the method of storing the footage?

1·5 metres on most roads would mean it'd be on continuous record.

Is the battery built in or replacable?