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Bicycles

SEIL's got direction signaling in the bag

By Paul Ridden
October 12, 2013
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View 19 Images
The SEIL LED grid signaling system installed in a bag
A SEIL prototype from 2010
The SEIL unit is slotted into a bag so that the LEDs face a 1 mm-thick semi-transparent polycarbonate panel
A lever at the front of a handlebar-mounted wireless controller is used to activate the left or right direction arrow via Bluetooth
Bright left or right arrows, stopping signals or custom animated text messages shine through the fabric at the back of the bag at the press of a button on a handlebar-mounted wireless controller
The cyclist activates the stop message on the rear of the SEIL bag
The Safe Enjoy Interact Light (or SEIL for short) is a water-resistant LED light grid mounted on a flexible PCB
Left turn: a SEIL system prototype from 2010
Two LED grid sizes have been developed, one with 135 lights, and the other with 207
An Android smartphone app can be used to design the custom signals, images or short text messages, which can also be animated
The SEIL LED grid signaling system installed in a bag
The SEIL bag includes five inner pockets with a total capacity of 25 liters
A lever at the front of a handlebar-mounted wireless controller is used to activate the left or right direction arrow via Bluetooth
The SEIL unit is slotted into a bag, hipsack or pouch
The SEIL LED grid installed in the hipsack
The SEIL LED grid installed in a bag
An Android smartphone app can be used to design the custom signals, images or short text messages, which can also be animated
Features of the wireless controller
The 15 x 9 SEIL LED grid
The 23 x 9 SEIL LED grid
View gallery - 19 images
View gallery - 19 images

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BicyclesBluetoothRoad SafetyLEDSignalLightKickstarter
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Paul Ridden
While Paul is loath to reveal his age, he will admit to cutting his IT teeth on a TRS-80 (although he won't say which version). An obsessive fascination with computer technology blossomed from hobby into career before hopping over to France for 10 years, where he started work for New Atlas in 2009. Now back in his native Blighty, he serves as Managing Editor in Europe.
7 comments
Denis Klanac
Turn signal need to be orange to prevent confusion.
Slowburn
It looks overly complex to me.
Rt1583
A great idea overall but they would have to mandate such a device (this one or a similar device) for all road going cyclists for it to be truly viable which I'd be willing to bet would sit well with the majority of cyclists out there.
As it is only a relatively small percentage of cyclists will buy this and to motor vehicle operators it will basically be seen as a novelty and it won't automatically register that the message flashing on the back of the cyclist is in fact a warning to their intentions.
Rt1583
I meant to say would not sit well with the majority of cyclists out there.
Greg P
I do not see why that needs to be in a bag form. IT could easily be incoroporated into a light jack, or strap on to anything on the back of the bike.
The animations really need to be limited to left, right and stop. Otherwise you will get people writing all sorts of advertising or crap on the device. making it a distraction.
Dirk Scott
Never seen a GREEN stop sign before.
unklmurray
I kinda like the design however.......If I'm carrying a backpack anyway,let us put a 24 inch bar across the back with RED lights across it Yes, put a Msg spot in the middle but have turn signals at either end of the 24in. bar,the bar could be highly flexable,and while I'm wearing the pack anyway lets' put 2--300+ lumens head lights on the sternum strap the ''Wings could fold up when not on the bike and the hands free head lights can be used kinda like the "Repulsor'' I saw on another article but they were trying to put that flash light at the waist .....dumb location as your hands & arms would constantly be in the way....move it up to the Sternum, even if I'm not carrying a back pack I still wear a back brace that has shoulder straps and a Sternum strap and a Hip belt to carry stuff on [Cops call them ''service belts'']the shoulder straps are a good place to carry your .44 mag.Lady Smith....Unless you don't live in a FREE country like NYC,I'm told they don't carry handguns in NYC...........
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