Signal Jacket for Cyclists

Signaljacket-1
Leah Buechley, a PhD student at the University of Colorado at Boulder, is well known for her electronic clothing--just take a look at the LED shirt project she did for CRAFT:01. Her signal jacket (above) for cyclists seems like such a fantastic invention that should be made by all you bikers out there and adopted into biking gear. The jacket is powered by the LilyPad Arduino which is available here at Sparkfun. Link.

From the pages of CRAFT:01
Electrictanktop
CRAFT: 01 - "The Electric Tank Top," by Leah Buechley pgs 54 - 67. Digital Subscribers can read the article here. - Link.

Subscribe to CRAFT Magazine and get 4 quarterly issues for only $34.95 (US) - Link.

Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu | Mar 15, 2008 11:00 AM add to sk*rt
Fashion Tech, Technology | Permalink | Comments (2) Bookmark and Share

Recent Entries

Comments

Newest comments listed first.

Posted by: teresa on March 15, 2008 at 5:16 PM

Cute, but, as a part-time cyclist married to a passionate competitive cyclist, I'm not confident this wouldn make much difference to a motorist (which I sometimes am as well so it's not like I'm pointing fingeres) who just doesn't pay much attention when behind the wheel. As many posters pointed out on the original site, most motorists don't even know the basic hand signals (hello? driver's ed?) so they aren't going to notice this either.

The link I followed really disturbed me because many people posted jokingly about how they would like to run over cyclists in their car. Um, wtf?? If you've ever had someone you cared about come out on the bad side of a motorist vs. bicycle accident you definitely feel some rage when you see some asshat post something that says "wah wah wah" in reference to cyclists who are concerned about their safety on the road. Is it too far-fetched for them to imagine that one of those people on two wheels out there just MIGHT be one of your friends? And if you think of everyone on the road that way, would you drive differently? And think differently? God, I hope so.


Posted by: nadnerb on March 16, 2008 at 4:49 PM

Cool idea!
i think something like this could make a difference. for the drivers who aren't familiar with hand signals, this speaks more their language.
personally, ive been considering hooking up a blinker system on my panniers, not only for the reason stated above (that it's the type of communication drivers are used to), but for the added reflective value even when they aren't in use.
and for the folks who are tempted to run down cyclists: stop trying to nail me and my friends. I don't ride around with a shotgun blasting at every SUV I see, so don't drive around trying to run us off the road. I'm no legal expert, but premeditated vehicular manslaughter is no minor offense.
bikes belong in traffic. (Uniform Vehicle Code, Chapter 11, Article 12)


Leave a comment


Subscribe to CRAFT!Subscribe to CRAFT Magazine!

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to CRAFT free. CRAFT Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now

How-to videos for Makers and Crafers!


Welcome to the CRAFT Blog! Your daily source for craft projects and inspiration.

CRAFT: Features & More
CRAFT Newsletter
CRAFT Magazine Sign up for our bi-weekly CRAFT newsletter that covers popular topics from the blog! You can also see the archive of past newsletters here. - Link.

CRAFT: The First Year Box Set
DIY HalloweenIn this special limited re-release, all 4 Volumes of Craft's first year are combined in a Special Edition Boxed Collector's Set. Box slip case is included in this set. - Link.


Natalie Zee Drieu.Natalie Zee Drieu
Senior Editor


Jenny Ryan.Jenny Ryan
Community Marketing Manager


Michelle KempnerMichelle Kempner
Tech Craftologist



Suggest a Site!

Arwen O'Reilly.Arwen O'Reilly
Staff Editor


Becky Stern.Becky Stern
Craft Technologist


Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor, Makezine.com

Advertise on CRAFT!
Why advertise on CRAFT?
Read what folks are saying about us!

Click here to advertise on CRAFT!

Subscribe to CRAFT Magazine!
Current Podcast

itunes_p.jpg Chloe Dao's Design Studio Tour - CRAFT Video Podcast MP4 Video | QT Video | HD | Subscribe in iTunes I always like looking behind the scenes to find out how a designer, crafter, or artist works. With this CRAFT Video Podcast, we go behind the scenes with... More...

Get the Craft blog sent via email
Enter your email to receive the Craft blog each day:





Craft Categories
www.flickr.com
photos in Craft More photos in Craft Flickr Pool
www.flickr.com
photos in MAKE More photos in MAKE Flickr Pool