This Cycling Jacket Offers Turn-by-Turn Directions
The Internet of Things promises to give us information on-demand, but one of the downfalls of the first rush of connected devices—like watches, Google Glass, or even app-controlled thermostats—is that we still have our noses buried in displays.
Startup smart-clothing company Lumenus could be considered part of the IoT's second wave: devices that give us the function we want but free us from the tyranny of the screen.
Lumenus soft-launched its eponymous line of LED-equipped clothing—mostly jackets, with LED strips integrated on the front and back of the shoulders and the wrist tops—at Interbike. That alone might be interesting, but what makes Lumenus more than just EDM apparel is the software side of the soft wear.
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As founder Jeremy Wall explained, this jacket pairs to an Android or iOS app that runs on Google Maps servers. Plug in your destination and, as with any other GPS units, start riding—but this time, put your phone in your pocket. The Bluetooth-paired processor uses your phone’s GPS and accelerometer to light up the LEDs on your shoulders with turn indicators or brake lights to tell drivers where you intend to turn, or that you’re stopping. Even better, the LEDs on the wrists light up to tell you where to turn.
Lumenus provides all the turn-by-turn functionality you want from a GPS without the distractions. Instead, you’re free to interact naturally with your environment, taking visual cues only when you need them. Because the jacket runs on Google Maps, if you take a wrong turn, the software will re-route. You can also manually input or suggest a specific route to take advantage of bike paths and low-traffic roads.
Lumenus plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter this October, with likely on-sale dates in April or May. The 13-item line should start at $100. The jacket shown here is a robust motorcycle-style piece, but we also saw a prototype windshell we were told will retail for around $200. That’s expensive, no doubt, but you could hardly swing your credential lanyard at Interbike without hitting a conventional $200 windshell.
We don’t often cover pre-sale companies (Kickstarter launches are the kudzu of press releases), but we made an exception for Lumenus’ technology. The proof will be in the product, specifically whether the jacket electronics and the app can reliably stay paired and provide hassle-free directions —but the idea itself is an impressive evolution of wearable technology, and we’re excited to see where it might go.
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