There are three things I need to accomplish with this project.
- I need to generate power from the motion of the bike, by pedaling
- I need to activate the light when I brake
- The product itself must be unobtrusive to the experience of pedaling and braking
The previous ITP project does these three things really nicely. By attaching the motors to the brake mechanism itself, they only generate power when the lights are needed, ie while braking.
My original thoughts on this was for the activation to happen via the motion of pulling on the brake. I got inspired by a hand flashlight I had lying around the apartment that didn’t use any batteries. I decided to dissect it for ideas and information.
This is the light in question. It has a little handle that when you squeeze it, it produces power to turn the flashlight on. You can squeeze it several times to keep a light steady. It also saves power to a battery, so you can flip a switch on the side and it turns the light on like a normal flashlight. Conveniently, the plastic is clear so we can see the gears and the motor in action.
Then I took it apart to really see it work
Pressing the outer arm spins a sequence of 2 gears that then spin a motor. I set off to start looking at how to create my own version. First step, turn an LED on by spinning a motor.
Step 2, how do I make this work on a bike? If I want the brake handles to activate the motor, then the lights, how do I attach it and where?
Here are some pictures I took of my bike to help get some ideas for placement and construction. Excuse my old, dirty bike, and the messy foyer where I’m working.
