turn signal biking jacket

made w/ lilypad arduino, LEDs, & wrist mounted switches for control

tutorial now up here:
www.cs.colorado.edu/~buechley/LilyPad/build/turn_signal_j...

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Comments

ironleg says:

That's a great idea. There's much more surface area on a biker's back than you could ever place on a little tail light.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

Plain Awesome! I need one!, perfect since I don't usually wear a backpack.

I'd suggest you cast the LillyPad in some paraffin wax in order to protect it from the elements... its melt point is much lower than that of the components and so you'll be able to easily remove the wax by heating the board in a oven at around 60°C for a few seconds.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

elecnix says:

Wow! Perhaps put that on a reflective jacket? How do you operate it? RF?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

Vents du Nord says:

that's a great idea !
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

ironleg says:

Wouldn't it be easier to make a small umbilical cord in the jacket to connect right to the bike's normal blinker lines? maybe on a jack that cuts out the normal blinkers when the jacket's plugged in so they still blink at the normal rate? Is this wireless? What does the lilypad do?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

riquif says:

Very cool! Although, something like this already exists. Coincidentally, we also happen to own the patent.

US Patent No. 6,834,395

Check it out and feel free to contact me if you have any questions :)
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

richardmasoner says:

Cool.

Looked up your patent. I'd love to see photos of your implementation, too.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

oskay says:

riquif: I read your patent.

You have got nothing, nothing and more nothing on this jacket, and you damn well know it. Troll somewhere else.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

oskay says:

riquif: If you wanted to just "put it out there" and phrase it without the implication, you could have done so.

I didn't call you a troll, I just called out your particularly fine example of subtle trolling-- You don't need to make this personal, and if you want to discuss this further, let's do it privately, please.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

RomiDesignz says:

That is so cool!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

pecunium says:

riquif: If you weren't trying to assert some claim to the idea, you chose a poor way to introduce yourself.

I'd have said (were I in your position) , something along the lines of "that's cool, co-incidentally there's already something like this on the market."

It was the inclusion of, "we also happen to own the patent", which raised hackles (I, who have no dog in this fight, took it much as oskay did). It implied that this jacket was infringing your patent, and the creator was at risk of legal action if she should try to market it.

That may not have been your intent, but the use of "we" and the "feel free to contact me if you have any questions," certainly gave the appearance of a sort of restrictive injunction.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

jonrawlinson says:

very cool! I want one!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

g.townsend says:

I would sugest, lower on the back for bent-over roadies. Cool idea.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

crmcdonough1952 says:

I looked at the patent as well.

It seems overly broad, and I think that it would be a interesting proposition to see which set of lawyers would be granted payment of fees from the other side.

Especially since the patent claims that the garment is meant as a "novelty, " and not as a workable and utility garment.

One of the problems with the current administration is that they have consistently kept underfunding the patent office, so that items that are overly broad, nebulous, with no working prototype and clearly conflicting with prior art, have been granted patents. The patent office has been constrained to award the patents, and are counting on the courts to actually do the determination of prior claim.

I also seem to recall seeing gimmicked turn signals on bicycle-rider jackets in the 1960s. I also have see a good number of people at MIT who have arranged LEDs into signboards woven into their garments over the years.

There is also the determination that a patent is invalid if the idea is really only .trivially non-obvious.

And I don't think this would patent would pass the smell test.

Now, if you had actually been marketing a working garment, you might have had a case under trade dress restrictions, if you had bothered to trademark the look-and-feel.

If not, bye bye.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

Seba2005 says:

Video reportajes de bodas, comuniones. Producciones multimedia para grupos musicales. Flipanema Studio Multimedia www.flipanema.com, También realizamos diseño gráfico. visite nuestro porfolio. Estamos en Grao de Gandia - Valencia España
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

kasia wska says:

genius!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

bilobicles bag says:

...siempre he pensado que las señaleticas, reflectantes o luces que pide la ley de transito pueden ir incorporadas a la ropa del ciclista... inclusive un simple gorro puede llevar una luz intermitente atras... pero la ley no valida esto aquí en Chile a menos que se cambie, muy interesante y creativa esta propuesta...
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

FuriKuri says:

Quiero 7 !!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

sandyherrold says:

Can't believe you didn't decide to call it TurnCoat! Sheesh!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

richardmasoner says:

"Turn Coat" Ha ha! Brilliant!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

leahbuechley says:

I like it ;-)
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

RJL20 says:

crmcdonough1952, the patent says "novel" not "novelty". That said, it seems like #6,558,016 would be more applicable.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

oakling says:

I want everyone to stop arguing over patent law long enough to tell me who is planning to sell me some of these :)
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

leahbuechley says:

you have to make your own ;-)
www.cs.colorado.edu/~buechley/LilyPad/index.h tml

I'll post plans as soon as I get a chance.
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

leahbuechley says:

tutorial now up here:
www.cs.colorado.edu/~buechley/LilyPad/build/t urn_signal_j...
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

annreddysrikanth says:

hii frndz this is srikanth,,,,,,this is a great idea of designing the turn signal biking jacket,,,good work. i am an Msc student and now my project is also related to same concept.,,,,,,

Project Title: Wearable Indicator
Abstract: An application of this would be an enhanced glove worn by a cyclist which would display a flashing light when the cyclist signalled to turn. In the first instance a PC could be used to detect a signalling pattern of movement of the arm and to generate the light pattern by switching an electro-luminescent wire or patch on and off.

it shld be done by using Wii controller technology,,,,,so any one can please help me out for my project,,,,,
my email id is annreddysrikanth@yahoo.com
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

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turn signal biking jacket

Comments

ironleg says:

xsmurf says:

elecnix says:

Vents du Nord says:

ironleg says:

riquif says:

richardmasoner says:

oskay says:

oskay says:

RomiDesignz says:

pecunium says:

jonrawlinson says:

g.townsend says:

crmcdonough1952 says:

Seba2005 says:

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