Comments on: Project Aura wheel lighting system

By: Thieme Hennis

Thieme Hennis — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:03:54 +0000

just wanted to post that one as well.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:29:21 +0000

Saw a similar, but I think cleverer version of this on kickstarter yesterday. Using lights on the wheels to provide directional lighting. Smart stuff, but painfully expensive!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/revolights/revolights-join-the-revolution

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:41:39 +0000

Uhh… because a helmet only adds a marginal amount of safety when you are hit, while lights significantly reduce the chance you will be hit. You would wear body armor but ride without lights.

By: James Thomas

James Thomas — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:37:19 +0000

The picture is dark, but he is wearing a helmet. Look closely and you can see the straps.

By: AJ

AJ — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:53:12 +0000

I like the look of these. If so concerned about safety while riding, use a helmet?

By: Steve A

Steve A — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:45:29 +0000

I expect this to disappear as suddenly as it appeared, as do most expensive products that fill an imaginary need.

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:24:34 +0000

A new rim and hub is quite an expense. I bought a dyno light because having light up front in necessary for riding at night and as a daily commuter, it was worth the cost to not have to mess around with charging batteries. But for optional lighting on the side, this sounds like a big investment. I’d be curious to see what their costs are, how durable the rim is, what the hub is like, etc.

By: Tiemen

Tiemen — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:08:16 +0000

I think the lunasee system is quite a bit more heavy duty and simpler:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fp-REcXjjM

By: Nick F

Nick F — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:37:05 +0000

I love the idea and the effect! Though I think they’ve got some complex challenges ahead if they want to bring it to production… Weatherproofing and vibration-proofing the many LEDs and wires used in this system is a complication vs. a centrally located light source. Having the system require a total-wheel solution is also a challenge – it means the thing will be expensive and require commitment to adopt, relegating it to a niche product.

It will be interesting to see how they address these issues going forward. I hope they succeed… the final result is by far the nicest of the 3 similar ideas you mentioned. Monkey Lectric is cool, but inherently sort of dorky…. and I can’t believe CYGLO are going forward with the absurd idea of embedding expensive and long-lasting LEDs into a cheap and frequently-replaced tire. Their next product – embedding precious rare-earth metals into toilet paper, so you can waste resources every time you flush.

By: Todd Edelman

Todd Edelman — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:27:19 +0000

Why have cyclists take more responsibility that what the law mandates? How about we use “carrots” to encourage people to use existing and generally-required lighting (and reflector) technology? Most important, how about slowing down cars… A LOT? More here: http://greenideafactory.blogspot.com/2010/09/dont-believe-hyper-illumination.html