$200 Bike Light Projects a Little Laser Cyclist on the Road Ahead of You
Here’s a nifty little replacement for your old bike light: The Blaze brings a bright, projecting laser pointer to the proceedings, making sure a cyclist can both see and be seen.
The concept of the Blaze is pretty simple: As you ride, a green laser projects a small image of a cyclist in the street ahead of you, so cars can tell you’re coming.
The product’s creator, Emily Brooke, cites a study noting that a staggering 79 percent of bike/car collisions occur when a car turns as the rider is going straight. Bicycles, after all, are a lot harder to spot than multi-ton automobiles. The laser is capable of projecting 16 to 20 feet out ahead of you, which should help extend your visible range outside of most blind spots.
At $200, Blaze is much more expensive than a lot of the bike lights out there, but much of the discrepancy comes from the cost of the laser, which the company admits is the priciest part of putting the light together.
Not that it skimped on the other components. The Blaze also has a high-power white LED light, rechargeable batteries and a waterproof, airplane-grade aluminum casing. Oh, and there’s a USB port built in so you can charge the thing up.
Brooke launched the product on Kickstarter late last year, raising £55,000 ($91,531) and more than doubling her goal. The product is up for pre-order now for $200. Those orders will start shipping later this month.
The light joins the recently funded Zackees LED turn-signal gloves on the list of Kickstarted gadgets that are making nighttime biking a little less dangerous.
Yahoo Tech is a brand-new tech site from David Pogue and an all-star team of writers. Follow us on Facebook for all the latest.
