Hi, I am studying Performance Sportswear Design at the University of Derby and am designing a range of clothing involving design for city commuters integrated with wearable electronics. Any information that anyone might have to help would be most appreciated particularly what the advantages and disadvantages to the clothing you wear at the moment and what types of features you would like to see incorporated in the future.
Thanks
Design for Cycling and City Commuting
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markhr
Re:Design for Cycling and City Commuting
don't - electronics (portable music, mobile phones) cause accidents by distracting the rider/driver
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Pedalling Pete
Re:Design for Cycling and City Commuting
Two items of new technology I would find useful:
First, a proximity detection device. Any sudden approach by a vehicle from a direction out of vision, or even in vision, would produce an alert. The rider would be made aware. But more importantly the clothing could be made to respond by illuminating for example. This might alert the driver, and would aid getting witness statements after a collision.
This first device would link in with my second piece of kit - the BikeCam. A helmet would be the obvious location, but alternatives within clothing could be useful. The camera would feed a 360 degree picture into a mobile phone system. The images would be sent to a central storage system which keeps the last 30 seconds of images up to any triggering incident. The data needs to be transmitted, as if stored in helmet would cause criminal motorists to remove the helmet in hit and run incidents. The stored data could then be used in prosecutions of drivers who endanger cyclists.
Thanks in anticipation!
First, a proximity detection device. Any sudden approach by a vehicle from a direction out of vision, or even in vision, would produce an alert. The rider would be made aware. But more importantly the clothing could be made to respond by illuminating for example. This might alert the driver, and would aid getting witness statements after a collision.
This first device would link in with my second piece of kit - the BikeCam. A helmet would be the obvious location, but alternatives within clothing could be useful. The camera would feed a 360 degree picture into a mobile phone system. The images would be sent to a central storage system which keeps the last 30 seconds of images up to any triggering incident. The data needs to be transmitted, as if stored in helmet would cause criminal motorists to remove the helmet in hit and run incidents. The stored data could then be used in prosecutions of drivers who endanger cyclists.
Thanks in anticipation!
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Carloss
Re:Design for Cycling and City Commuting
Hi Libby
for me the essence of cycling is in its simplicity /environmental sustainability, so I'm a wee bit cynical about intetrated electronics. At the very least it should be powered through the energy of the rider in some way, e.g. bike dynamo (this means having the facility to plug it into the output from a hub dynamo for example).
On the more prosaic side of things, good rain hoods that move with the wearers head when looking about are hard to come by, and very desirable. And simple well-designed ventilation of moisture in a garment is better than using so-called breathable fabrics which I have found are by and large a costly rip-off.
hope that's some help.
for me the essence of cycling is in its simplicity /environmental sustainability, so I'm a wee bit cynical about intetrated electronics. At the very least it should be powered through the energy of the rider in some way, e.g. bike dynamo (this means having the facility to plug it into the output from a hub dynamo for example).
On the more prosaic side of things, good rain hoods that move with the wearers head when looking about are hard to come by, and very desirable. And simple well-designed ventilation of moisture in a garment is better than using so-called breathable fabrics which I have found are by and large a costly rip-off.
hope that's some help.
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tomjw
Re:Design for Cycling and City Commuting
It is an idea full of potential - here are some ideas:
It would be quite a good idea to incorporate some (removable) lights into a jacket - like those t-shirts you used to get (and possibly still do).
What about a warning message for drivers in LEDs that comes on when you press a button - Like "Idiot" or something. (The batteries wouldn't last long though ! )
Also lights in the shoes like those children's trainers.
You could have velcro backed mini lights sold singly or in packs that people could configure how they wanted (on the back of gloves for example).
Anything that would help visibility would be a good idea.
What about some heated gloves powered from the dynamo (like motorcyclists have).
It would be quite a good idea to incorporate some (removable) lights into a jacket - like those t-shirts you used to get (and possibly still do).
What about a warning message for drivers in LEDs that comes on when you press a button - Like "Idiot" or something. (The batteries wouldn't last long though ! )
Also lights in the shoes like those children's trainers.
You could have velcro backed mini lights sold singly or in packs that people could configure how they wanted (on the back of gloves for example).
Anything that would help visibility would be a good idea.
What about some heated gloves powered from the dynamo (like motorcyclists have).
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pwd_stone
Re:Design for Cycling and City Commuting
Lights integrated with Hi-Vis jackets certainly seems like a good idea, and I doubt I'd complain about heated gloves in the winter. The essential thing to remember about commuter clothing is that it's there to keep the elements out, and preferably keep the office clothes unsoiled. Therefore anything that sacrafices light-weight breath-ability is not a good idea. Also remember that any weight on the clothing will cause a focal area for sweat.