Blinkers announces smart lighting system for cycling complete with turning indicators

 

Swiss start-up Velohub has announced a new smart lighting system for urban cycling. Comprising front, rear and laser lighting it’s available to buy from www.blinkers.bike with prices starting from £89/€99/$120.

Cycle use has been increasing in the UK with 1.9 million people cycling every day and more people cycling at least once a week. With so many bikes and 71% of them riding on roads, safety is paramount as cyclists are among the most vulnerable users of the road. 

Blinkers hopes to be at the forefront of next generation bike lighting by giving cyclists the ability to operate extra safety features such as turning indicators, brake lights and laser projection with a simple remote control.

With two-thirds of cyclists’ injuries or fatalities occurring at, or near, a road junction with T-junctions and roundabouts being the most commonly involved, the benefits of turning indicators is clear and a safety precaution that should prevent confusion and give all road users peace of mind.

The Blinkers lights indicate the direction of the turn the cyclist is taking, by blinking to the right or to the left, with the rear Blinker using a red light that becomes more intense when the cyclist is braking.

The laser option allows users to project half a circle on the ground, which will increase visibility during the night and give cars a better understanding of the cyclists’ positioning on the road and the space the cyclist requires.

All of these features are controlled by a wireless remote control on the handlebar of the bike to make the communication and use as simple as possible.

The lights can be charged by USB and are designed to be used for approximately 20 hours. They can be put on any bike with universal attachments on the handlebar, the saddle and the rack.

Blinkers can be easily removed from the bike due to a magnetic system, so that users can take them off whenever the bike is locked or left unattended. The system works using radiofrequency (RF) with a light on the remote control indicating when the Blinkers should be charged so that cyclists will be aware of when the battery is running low.

Previously, Blinkers was on Kickstarter gaining support from over 500 backers, raising over €50,000 in 2016.

Since the completion of the campaign, Velohub has partnered with Zühlke Engineering and Sapetti Design studios to craft a premium quality product and improve Blinkers even further for users, in terms of functionality, durability, user-friendliness and design.

After over a year of product development and negotiating with suppliers and manufacturers, Blinkers has finally hit the UK market with a full solution that aims to be the new essential piece of kit for road cyclists. It is being produced in Switzerland and in Spain (assembled in the European Union).

Blinkers are available in four different packages from £89/€99/$120 for the rear light without laser, to £175/€199/$240 for a complete safety solution (the rear and front light with laser). The solutions are available from www.blinkers.bike.

You can view a video of blinkers in action here