Project Aura: a gorgeous take on bicycle lighting
Ethan Frier and Jonathan Ota, two industrial design students at Carnegie Mellon University, noticed a problem with night time bicycle safety. Specifically, how do you ensure side visibility when your lights are angled forward and back? Their solution is both unique and beautiful.
They placed a series of RGB LED lights inside the wheel rims. The lights are powered simply by pedaling. They are also programmed to change color from red to white as the bike speeds up and slows down, which provides a stunning and noticeable visual effect.
According to their project blog they are currently figuring out how to commercialize their creation. Keep your eyes peeled on the streets and in local bike shops.
Hat tip to Silas Grant, whose tweet first brought the video to my attention.