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Outdoors

Ridersmate calls for help if you wipe out in the wilderness

By Ben Coxworth
January 23, 2015
Ridersmate calls for help if you wipe out in the wilderness
The Ridersmate connects you to your ride, and sends an alert if you fall off
The Ridersmate connects you to your ride, and sends an alert if you fall off
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The Ridersmate connects you to your ride, and sends an alert if you fall off
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The Ridersmate connects you to your ride, and sends an alert if you fall off
You can also send a call for help manually, by pressing the device's SOS button
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You can also send a call for help manually, by pressing the device's SOS button
The text message includes your GPS coordinates and altitude, along with the time that the incident occurred and the speed at which you were traveling when it happened
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The text message includes your GPS coordinates and altitude, along with the time that the incident occurred and the speed at which you were traveling when it happened
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If you regularly take off into the hinterlands on a motorbike, mountain bike or horse, there are no doubt times when you wonder, "What happens if I crash and hurt myself, and no one knows where I am?". You might be able to phone for help, although that wouldn't be the case if you were knocked unconscious. That's why British telecommunications engineer David Coleman developed the Ridersmate. If you fall off your bike/horse, it automatically sends a text message to let other people know that something's amiss.

Here's how the system works ...

The Ridersmate unit is clipped onto yourself using an included carabiner, while a curly cord attached to the other end of the device is clipped onto your bike/horse (or what Coleman refers to as your "ride"). Should you suddenly part company with that ride, the cord will pull loose from its plug in the Ridersmate, activating it to send a text message via GPRS (general packet radio service).

That message can go to up to three different people of your choice, advising them that you've been in an accident. In case they miss it the first time, it goes out again a minute later. So that they know where to send help, it includes your GPS coordinates and altitude, along with the time that the incident occurred and the speed at which you were traveling when it happened.

You can also send a call for help manually, by pressing the device's SOS button
You can also send a call for help manually, by pressing the device's SOS button

You can likewise send a call for help manually, by pressing the device's SOS button. On the other hand, should it all be a big misunderstanding (such as if you got off your ride and forgot to unclip), plugging the cord back in sends a second message that tells everyone to ignore the previous one.

Because it tracks GPS coordinates, altitude, heading and speed – and features Google Maps integration – the Ridersmate can also be used simply to log your various excursions. One charge of its battery should be good for about eight hours of use.

Coleman is currently raising production funds for the Ridersmate, on Kickstarter. A pledge of £199 (about US$300) will currently get you one, when and if they're ready to go. More information is available in the pitch video below.

Potential buyers might also want to check out the ICEdot Crash Sensor, which attaches to helmets and sends out an alert if it detects a hard impact.

Sources: Ridersmate, Kickstarter via Bike Radar

Ridersmate - GPS safety and tracking device

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OutdoorsRidingAccidentsAlertHorse-ridingKickstarterMountain Bikes
7 comments
Ben Coxworth
Ben Coxworth
Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer. Ben is particularly interested in scientific innovation, human-powered transportation, and the marine environment.

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7 comments
Gadgeteer
Seems like it would be easier and cheaper to implement this as an app on an iPhone instead of as standalone hardware, which will need a lot of regulatory approval as well as negotiation with carriers. An iPhone already has all the necessary hardware, including GPS. Also, instead of sending a text immediately, why not just program a delay of 60 seconds, which should give you enough time to plug it back in and eliminate the need for a cancellation message.
Drew31186
Well to the previous comment, iPhones along with most phones can be destroyed very easily. I absolutely see the advantages to having a standalone device that's more "crash resistant". My iphone slipped out of the ram mount at a light and killed it(iphone 5) and after my motorcycle wreck even my wallet was destroyed!
One suggestion would be something like a 10sec countdown until the emergency message is sent because I can totally image getting off my motorcycle and forgetting to untether. Feel like I would "cry wolf" pretty frequently.
Ahy Nonimous
You mean "an app on a smart phone". Fixed that for you.
Gadgeteer
@Drew31186,
If you think most phones are easily destroyed, you've obviously never tried something like an Otterbox Defender case. Look up the numerous drop tests from several floors above street level. I also seriously doubt your iPhone was "killed" by a fall at a light. I've never heard of any iPhone that became completely nonfunctional after a fall. The display might have been cracked, but the phone was almost certainly functional otherwise, functional enough to be able to send out a distress call like this.
f8lee
All this blather is fine and well, but if one is truly "out in the hinterlands" away from any cell service will it work at all? Does it communicate with the satellite phone services?
Ridersmate
Hi guys,
Great questions all!
1. False alarms. Great question! The unit actually waits 45 seconds before transmitting the first text, to allow you time to plug it back in. If a text has already been sent before you realise, you can plug it back in and it'll send another text to tell your contacts it was a false alarm. You should also discuss what should happen in the event of a text, with your contacts. I.e. Don't panic, try and call me to make sure I'm not sat in the pub.
2. Being tied to a single data carrier / network. The unit can `piggy back' onto any carrier network even the ones not associated with the SIM card installed. This allows the unit to search for the strongest network available.
3. Will it work if I'm out in the wilderness? The emergency texts will still stand a very good chance of being sent, even when your phone appears to have no signal. Phone masts periodically 'scan' for data, the message can stay in the `ether' for quite some time and be out there to be picked up by scanning from a network mast. The Ridersmate unit always sends two messages 60 seconds apart to give the best possible chance of being received.
Cheers, David Coleman Ridersmate
underwater123
"The emergency texts will still stand a very good chance of being sent, even when your phone appears to have no signal. Phone masts periodically 'scan' for data, the message can stay in the `ether' for quite some time and be out there to be picked up by scanning from a network mast."
This smells like bs to me.