April 11, 2016

Laser Line

Too close

Too close – that’s less than 1m

Since the bike paths in Sydney and other major cities are fragmented, many cyclists have to ride on the road. Many cars get too close to cyclists, and put them at risk of being hit. Several states have passed laws mandating that cyclists must have one meter of space around them.

Our safety circle, drawn with a laser, clearly marks the 1 meter area around the rear of the bike.

The rear of the bike is the most vulnerable area, as it is the area which the cyclist is most unaware of. Using our laser safety circle, we can ensure that cyclists can stay safer.

In addition, to ensure the safety of pedestrians and drivers if the bike falls over, we automatically turn off the laser if the bike falls over.

(Our proof-of-concept device uses a red laser because they are easy to work with; we are examining the use of a green laser for greater visibility in the day – although we are not sure if the use of green sends the right message to drivers.)

The laser line is generated by rotating an angled mirror to create a conic section – we used a mathematical model to work out the angles and positioning.