Luma Lane
red dot
red dot award: design concept 2007
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Insight Product Development, LLC |
Luma Lane utilises low-tech illumination and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) sensing technology to improve road safety for cyclists.
Bike lanes in most North American metropolitan areas are simply paths designated by a painted line. In addition, the bike lanes are situated between the flow of traffic on the left and parking lanes on the right, which provides no physical protection for cyclists and can make cyclists difficult to see by-passing motorists. The Luma Lane system provides a retro fit solution until new bike paths are constructed that can isolate cyclists from traffic. Luma Lane could also provide for communities in which new paths cannot be created.
Luma Lane utilises low-tech illumination and RFID sensor technology to improve road safety for cyclists. Using LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), the pods can alert motorists of cyclists on the path, as well as provide basic path illumination for dusk or nighttime riding. The pods are permanently affixed to the pavement. These sequentially lined “smart” pods contain RFID readers that detect the RFID system tag attached to the bikes of approaching cyclists.
When a bike with a city-issued RFID label approaches a smart pod, it triggers a high frequency signal to the 5 pods before and after the smart pod. The 10 pods activate their LEDs (located in the internal technology/ lighting hub) for a 10-second duration, illuminating the rider’s path to the next smart pod.
The LEDs and RFID system are powered by a solar panel located on the rear of the pod, which requires little to no maintenance, and provides enough energy to power one pod. The pod’s understated form seamlessly integrates into the street landscape, while the cast aluminum frame visually differentiates the pod from the asphalt for demarcation of the bike lane. The soft pyramidal shape also allows for bike and car wheels to run over the pods with little or no damage.
More implementation is required to provide safety and comfort to cyclists on the road. The Luma Lane system imparts a sense of safety and security.
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