This guy has to be a flashaholic. Custom modded POV bike light for night riding

Steve K

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 10, 2002
Messages
2,786
Location
Peoria, IL

always good to see people tinker and be creative!

There have been products that project various shapes onto the ground in order to signal the presence of a bike. Never seen one in use, but I've always had a hard time believing that bouncing light off of the road would make you more visible that shining the same amount of light directly at the motorists.

The article does reference a document titled "Countermeasures that work". I just downloaded it, and it turns out to be a 437 page document from NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Might be interesting to just search it for "bicycle" and see what pops up.

Thanks for the link, PW!
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
10,179
Location
Pacific N.W.
Obviously, the picture is not a true representation of the light that's being projected behind the rider. :whistle:

~ Chance

KClshh2.jpg
 

abvgdee

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jun 25, 2014
Messages
49
Also, the cyclist image is clearly a montage: no rear wheel, and since background is visible, there must have been a "tail" from the front light (the ghostly appearance could be fine otherwise). And a PhD and IEEE editor is unlikely to do such DIY-ing. April 1st?
 

Keitho

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 7, 2017
Messages
781
Location
CO, USA
The article does reference a document titled "Countermeasures that work". I just downloaded it, and it turns out to be a 437 page document from NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Might be interesting to just search it for "bicycle" and see what pops up.

Just a small section on active bicycle lighting, from this paper published in 2015 (I think that is the most recent one), page 417/437. It basically says that active lighting works, without coming to any firm data-supported conclusions about what kinds of lights are best. I like this guy's light projection project--it is really cool to see someone hack together a bunch of flashlights into something that might be useful. I'd say it would be helpful, as long as it wasn't the only rear light. If there is a good use for some kind of irregular strobe pattern, it would be on those road projections--catch a driver's attention in their peripheral vision, where driver's brains are not used to seeing flashing/movement.
 

PhotonWrangler

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Messages
14,412
Location
In a handbasket
I like the use of an arduino and inexpensive mosfet drivers also. This opens up all sorts of possibilities for flash/chase patterns.
 

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2001
Messages
5,377
Location
Stillwater, America
Just like in automotive lighting, bicycle lighting (particularly when bicycles share roads) shouldn't be a free-for-all. Good steady rear lights and appropriate retroreflectors are preferable to the flashing and "chase" patterns, and lasers to draw roadway patterns.
 

alpg88

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 19, 2005
Messages
5,260
i think it's unnecessary and overkill, 1 relatively bright red taillight is enough for other bikes\cars to see you. i ride a bike, it is really annoying when others install 3000lm headlight and use strobe, or have super bright taillight, especially with lasers, no problems when they are aimed right, but when they are not, it's pita for those who follow, also wet road reflects that laser line right into other riders eyes.
 

dgnuff

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 18, 2019
Messages
2
Also, the cyclist image is clearly a montage: no rear wheel, and since background is visible, there must have been a "tail" from the front light (the ghostly appearance could be fine otherwise). And a PhD and IEEE editor is unlikely to do such DIY-ing. April 1st?

I suspect the explanation is much simpler. It's a single shot with a camera, but using a timed exposure, probably several seconds during which he was moving, that way the camera catches the pattern he left on the road for the duration of the shot. The image of the rider appears due to the use of what's known in the camera business as "rear curtain sync flash" which is a really fancy way of saying fire the flash gun right at the end of the exposure. That's why he's brightly illuminated, and why the rear wheel is missing, it's probably in shadow from the flash gun, so it didn't register, and the scenery behind it remains visible.
 
Top