February 2012
2 posts
The Revolights Launch Update ...
We regret to announce that the public launch of the Revolights bike lighting system is delayed three months, from late March 2012 to late June 2012. While this was a very tough decision, we strongly believe that it is the right one. Product development is a tricky art. While it follows a generally predictable timeline, various challenges invariably arise along the way. As we address each design...
9 tags
Revolights & Wired Magazine Fueling Innovation...
VOTES NEEDED… Revolights was selected to participate in the WIRED fueling innovation competition sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. Please follow this link and show some love by voting. Share the link!
http://bit.ly/Afa4Zv
7 tags
November 2011
4 posts
5 tags
Newly Revamped Revolights.com...
Check out the freshly renovated revolights.com! We plan to leverage this site well into the future with many build-outs and add-ons. Help spread the word about our new look on twitter, facebook, tumbr, etc. via the links on the site. The new site is the design output of our Creative Director @ Revolights, Jeff Kriege.
As for us… well we dig the design. Also, if you feel like joining the...
October 2011
6 posts
WIRED Store, NYC
A while back we mentioned presentation of the Revolights bike lighting system V5 Prototype at our booth at the San Francisco Bike Expo on November 13th & 14th. This event is right around the corner and we’re really looking forward to it. Here’s the Bike Expo link.
Yet in an effort to unite the U.S. coasts we will also display a V5 Prototype in the NYC WIRED Pop-Up Store...
Prototype V5 Electronics... Oh Yeah!
As mentioned, we’ve been hard at work on Prototype V5 of the Revolights bike lighting system. And while we’ve heard the call for more engineering updates, with new product specs moving forward it is important that we adhere to a strict balance between disclosure and exposure; for a variety of reasons. Yet we take both this work, and your financial backing very seriously; so an...
Revolights @ the SF Bike Expo - Nov. 12 & 13
Stop by our booth at the San Francisco Bike Expo on Nov. 12 & 13 to see the latest and greatest from Revolights and what we’ve got in the pipeline for the final production version. Come see us, we’d love to link up!
Follow us on twitter and facebook, as well as right here at revolights.com for the most up-to-date information.
- Kent, Adam and Jim
FAQs...
When will the Revolights bike lighting system be available to the public? To make the most out of our kickstarter funding, we’ve decided to specifically focus on completing the design for a few months. Our projected public launch will be in March ‘12 for $220 US. Pre-orders will be early next year and we’ll be sure to updated via our facebook page (Revolights), twitter...
4 tags
To learn a bit more about the Revolights story... →
Check out this Washington DC Q&A article Adam did with @TBD on Foot’s John Hendel (click anywhere to link to it).
It really turned out great. It provides good insight into who we all are here at Revolights, as well as what we have been doing/thinking.
Plans for the next few months...
To make the most out of our kickstarter funding, we’ve decided to specifically focus on completing the design for a few months. Our projected public launch will be in March ‘12 for $220 US. When we re-open pre-orders we’ll be sure to let you know via our facebook page (Revolights), twitter (@revolights) and revolights.com. Please stay tuned, we’re working very hard to get...
September 2011
4 posts
A design update...
The first prototyped version of the V5 LED ring just recently arrived hot off the stereolithography machine! Since most of the parts are made of plastic, getting them made without injection molds is a bit tricky. For that reason we went with some rapid prototyping houses, and got the design back in a week! We’re determined to achieve product launch by March ‘12 (earlier would be coo too,...
Exclusive Kickstarter T-Shirt... only 17 hours...
It’s been a busy 6 weeks and with only 17 hours left to go we’d like to present the t-shirt that all backers at or above the [Polka Dot jersey] level will receive. With continued compliments to our graphicsmaster Jeff; Jeff Kriege (www.jeffkriege.com):
NOTE: this shirt design is going to be of limited distribution available to kickstarter backers only. They’ll be bought in a single...
A few more pics...
So while we’ve been a bit silent lately, tis’ not because we haven’t been focused on designing, as well as listening. We’ve heard an immense amount of feedback… and that’s why we’re trying to keep the information flowing. A majority of the feedback has been in regards to future design modifications and enhancements. Due to all of the great ideas, we’ve increased our design team to ensure...
Halfway There
We’ve had an amazing first half of our funding period on Kickstarter (you can find a link to our project page in the left sidebar) and have received a ton of great feedback. We love all of the suggestions and are definitely working hard to incorporate some of these ideas into our final design. Modifications that are currently being considered for future versions of the Revolights bike...
August 2011
15 posts
To help support Revolights' Kickstarter project... →
An Amazing First Week
Wow. So as we bet you can imagine, lately things have been picking up speed quickly here at Revolights. We’re just now settling into our newer project responsibilities, and really starting to see what Revolights is set to become. We have moved from the pre-launch excitement of what can/might be; to the post-launch love/passion for what we have created, and will create. Our motivations are on...
Product Reviews and FAQs
Here’s a brief update on the progress of our journey thus far (click any of the embedded links to view product reviews and conversations). Our first product design review article was published on core77.com just prior to project launch with subsequent reviews on gizmag.com, doobybrain.com, swiss-miss.com as well as various other sites. Over the last couple of days Internet buzz has...
Our kickstarter project is officially launched! ... →
...a few good pics of v4
This picture shows bike and rider with v4 lights fully illuminated. This is a great representation of the clear, bright functionality of the headlight. v4 was a quantum leap in design from v3 and is evidence of how quickly the Revolights bike lighting system will continue to be optimized throughout the design phase.
___________________________________________________________________
In...
Watchv4 in action, only one ring installed on the side of the wheel.
...prototype 4 (v4)...
The picture above shows the fourth bike light system’s illumination ring detached from a bicycle wheel. Prototype 4 (v4) was a significant improvement from v3 for various reasons. By using a rolled aluminum sheet metal ring support structure for the lights the overall size of the ring could be significantly reduced, thus making the system more inconspicuous, as well as attractive while in...
Watchv3 in action (note: to the naked eye, those gaps in between the light are invisible).
...prototype 3 (v3)...
The image above is of the third bike light system, which was an improvement over the second system for a number of reasons. For example, v2’s control system was mounted in the hub using a large electronics board, yet prototype 3 (v3)’s board was shrunk in size by using smaller package size components to allow it to be mounted to the ring itself. Mounting to the ring provides further functional...
...prototype 2 (v2)...
The image above is a photograph of the second bike light system, prototype 2, installed onto a bicycle wheel. The basic architecture is similar to that of prototype 1, and the main control electronics remain centralized in the hub. An improvement over prototype 1 is the incorporation of the light sources into a ring, which is assembled off of the wheel, then installed as one piece (here...
The answer through development; prototype 1...
Above is a picture of the first bike light system’s side view showing lights, individually wired along spokes emanating out from the hub to the tire. The lights themselves (12 in total) are mounted individually to the spokes of the bike wheel using a small custom made clip (made of laser cut polypropylene sheet here), and radially wired individually to the main control circuit board...
The opportunity, biker safety
‘Traffic Safety Facts’ according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Center for Statistical Analysis, (‘Pedalcyclists Killed and Injured and Fatality and Injury Rates by Age and Sex, 2008’):
In 2008…
● 716 people were killed riding a bike in the United States.
● 52,000 people were injured riding a bike in the United States.
● The average age of those...
Team building
To develop the idea we needed a few things, the first of which was a team. So to ensure we had enough human hours to complete the development task, we built a team.
Kent - the inventor. Our technical powerhouse. Commands multiple Mechanical Engineering degrees. In his other life, works in the field of medical diagnostics.
Jim - the inspirational speaker. Capable of presenting on any...
Beginnings...
My brother’s best friend Kent has been designing cool stuff since he was young, and, well, now he’s really good at it; a mightily talented engineer. Places like, oh NASA; his former employer, would agree. Check out some of his more recent side projects:
www.kentfrankovich.com
So it happened upon chance that we re-encountered each other at a party in late 2010. We drank some dark...