Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists • Hacker News Board

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#31

Post by davidw » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 8:11 AM UTC

deepGem wrote: post #26

doctoboggan wrote: post #8

I think this product would be well served by alerting the user about car distance through some channel other than visual. When biking all visual attention should be focused forward, and the extra information sensed by this device could be delivered through some form of haptic feedback.

True, one option is to integrate haptic feedback into a sensor in the shoe. But even then, what action would one take based on this feedback. Should I stop, pedal faster or switch a lane. Just the radar feedback of 'something is about to hit you from behind' is probably not enough.

> But even then, what action would one take based on this feedback

Activate a rear-mounted grenade launcher, of course. Well, in some of my violent daydreams regarding jerks in cars, at least.

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#32

Post by andygates » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 10:01 AM UTC

d4m0 wrote: post #16

lucb1e wrote: post #11

I don't get how this works. The only dangerous situations that you can't prevent right now are a car coming from around a blind corner or a car that wants to turn while you go straight. In the former case you'd need to look around the corner, something I can't imagine how it would do. In the latter case it would need to magically know when a car, which might or might not have been close to you for the last mile, sudd…

This isn't for city riding. It is for riding on country roads. If you've ever done any road cycling outside of city centres, it can get very risky as the cars are going so much faster and there isn't the same road shoulder. Your ears are not enough. Personally I hate cycling on country roads because of this so I would definitely use this radar. I agree with an earlier comment about non-visual feedback. An audio queue…

Most of my riding is this, and I think the risk here is perceived risk, not actual. Generally getting smooshed from behind is a low-likelihood event. When it does happen it's on fast trunk roads (pretty nasty to ride, but also usually avoidable).

This looks like another techy boondoggle to reassure people. Cycling is littered with 'em.

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#33

Post by benpbenp » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 10:34 AM UTC

doctoboggan wrote: post #8

I think this product would be well served by alerting the user about car distance through some channel other than visual. When biking all visual attention should be focused forward, and the extra information sensed by this device could be delivered through some form of haptic feedback.

What if you wore a band around your back and sides, that would vibrate at a certain location to communicate angle, and intensity to communicate distance?

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#34

Post by taeric » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 10:36 AM UTC

glomph wrote: post #17

I just don't understand how this could be better than either looking behind you or a mirror. I guess I would have to try it though.

For me, looking behind is dangerous, as I will swerve slightly in doing so.

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#35

Post by andrey-p » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 10:37 AM UTC

doctoboggan wrote: post #8

I think this product would be well served by alerting the user about car distance through some channel other than visual. When biking all visual attention should be focused forward, and the extra information sensed by this device could be delivered through some form of haptic feedback.

One of the things they mention in the Kickstarter is an open API. I guess that would make it more straightforward to make custom additions to the system.

What I imagined when I read "sixth sense" was something that you stick in your backpack close to your back where it vibrates stronger the closer the car behind you is.

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#36

Post by Flow » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 10:46 AM UTC

If it took pictures of the plates and drivers of all the cars that pass from behind, it would be a quite useful gadget.

I'm someone who has seen too many Go Pro videos on YouTube, here's an example of such a video, this is a scary video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i556e3qyt58

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#37

Post by m0nty » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 11:16 AM UTC

Flow wrote: post #36

If it took pictures of the plates and drivers of all the cars that pass from behind, it would be a quite useful gadget. I'm someone who has seen too many Go Pro videos on YouTube, here's an example of such a video, this is a scary video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i556e3qyt58

The comments, scarier still. "The cyclist screaming like a girl cracked me up!"

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#38

Post by walshemj » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 12:32 PM UTC

lucb1e wrote: post #11

I don't get how this works. The only dangerous situations that you can't prevent right now are a car coming from around a blind corner or a car that wants to turn while you go straight. In the former case you'd need to look around the corner, something I can't imagine how it would do. In the latter case it would need to magically know when a car, which might or might not have been close to you for the last mile, sudd…

I looked at the deaths for one year in London and 9 out of 10 where cased by undertaking HGV (heavy goods vehicles) turning left - this wont help in that case.

Though it could be useful for touring cyclists - but they often have a review mirror.

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#39

Post by gambiting » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 12:43 PM UTC

m0nty wrote: post #37

Flow wrote: post #36

If it took pictures of the plates and drivers of all the cars that pass from behind, it would be a quite useful gadget. I'm someone who has seen too many Go Pro videos on YouTube, here's an example of such a video, this is a scary video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i556e3qyt58

The comments, scarier still. "The cyclist screaming like a girl cracked me up!"

also "good thing he got hit, cyclists shouldn't be on the road, they don't even pay road tax so they have no right to be there!"

Where the fuck do these people come from? Which retarded part of the world has spawned such brain-dead idiots?

Re: Backtracker: Radar sixth sense for cyclists

#40

Post by 7952 » Mon, Aug 04, 2014, 1:43 PM UTC

Mithaldu wrote: post #2

Don't make me waste minutes of my time watching vague videos before i can actually find out what it is. Give me a technical drawing first, or at the very least have the decency and courtesy to have your video display what it does, accurately, in the first ten seconds instead of making me watch someone pump their bike. Also, holy shit, blinking backlights are a massive danger source. They may be nice when you're ridin…

The amount of various safety lights on cars/bikes/road works in London is getting ridiciulous. I wonder if at some point the safety feature of lights/high vis just becomes a distraction. I would much rather have proper street light everywhere in big cities than thousands of different individiual distractions.