Fitted into your spokes, the Monkeyllectric will turn your spinning bicycle wheel into an electric kool-aid acid test. It fits the wheels of any bike and, fitted with three AAA batteries, will make your velocipede look like two mirrored ferris wheels insanely spinning out of control. The price is a bit much at $64.99 each but I’ll likely buy a couple: my Berlin city bike could use some hallucinogenics.
Monkeylectric [Official Site via Gearfuse]
These are cool. I’m wondering if the pattern changes or can be programmed at all. If you think that $64.99 is pricey, you should see how much it costs to get LED rims on your car.
Heh, Sorry about the flash link.
abstract art is all well and good, but i’m thinking…: ad space!. “for $12.34/mile i’ll ride to work and back with flashing rainbow ‘Mattress’ on the front wheel and ‘City!!’ on the back”
Alternatively if you are willing to assemble it yourself you can get the programmable Spke POV kit, and be able to design/program your own wheel images.
Kit is $37.50/wheel but requires a $7.50 dongle(usable with as many kits as needed). Haven’t tried it myself, but looks pretty cool.
Are hypnodiscs really the smartest thing to be displaying next to drivers of lethal vehicles?
If it’s attaching to the wheels anyway why not just add a little generator like they used to use for bike lights?
The baddest version of this that I’ve seen has an animated Pac Man chasing a Ghost. I love technology.
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/03/light_up_animated_pacman_bicyc.html
I’m all for lights as a saftey feature on bikes, but this is obviously just bling. Either way, it could be done a whole lot better with a little more programable led array, I mean, you could have everyone crashing into you instead of just the occasional unobservant car.
Batteries!?!? Isin’t there a way to, oh I don’t know, maybe have the spinning tires somehow power the thing?
@ #7
It’s kind of a face-palm moment isn’t it? I wonder how we could possibly power these low energy lights attached to a large spinning object? I know, Batteries!
Who needs batteries?
New Light Source Lasts 15 Years Without a Recharge
“How about a glowing light source that lasts for 15 years instead of the typical 15 minutes of a glowstick? GlowPaint’s newest product does just that and is also non-toxic and inexpensive and doesn’t require a recharge via solar or electrical sources for its entire lifespan. According to the company, “This has potential to save billions in energy costs world-wide. Litroenergyâ„¢ surpasses all known available lighting options for cost/durability/reliability and safety.†Their products are expected to be used to replace other forms of safety, emergency and novelty lighting duties normally performed by glow sticks, LEDs and other light sources.”
@9 That Litroenergy looks just like tritium illumination. That’s been phased out of almost all previous applications because it’s radioactive.
From the patent application:
“containing both a light-emitting phosphor and a radioactive gas”
Yup. It is.
@#1 of course! one of the main features is the .
@#4 we’ve had experienced test riders using these for a year, safety feedback is massively positive. even drivers love it, and often tell us how they are happy we are so visible.
@#7
@#8
easier said than done. hub-integrated generators are made by several companies including Shimano, but they cost over $100. Our unit runs up to 2.5 watt (it is super bright!) so you need a decent sized generator – and that 2.5 watt is not free, it comes out of your legs. we optimized for rechargeable batteries, but we do include DIY info on our site for anyone that wants to use a generator.
-dan-
founder, MonkeyLectric
@#1 of course! one of the main features is the graphics synthesizer
@#4 we’ve had experienced test riders using these for a year, safety feedback is massively positive. even drivers love it, and often tell us how they are happy we are so visible.
@#7
@#8
easier said than done. hub-integrated generators are made by several companies including Shimano, but they cost over $100. Our unit runs up to 2.5 watt (it is super bright!) so you need a decent sized generator – and that 2.5 watt is not free, it comes out of your legs. we optimized for rechargeable batteries, but we do include DIY info on our site for anyone that wants to use a generator.
-dan-
founder, MonkeyLectric
This is like the spokePOV from ladyada.net, but not as DIY. The spokePOV lets you program whatever the hell you want into your wheels. Even animations. I’ve got one – it’s awesome
Yes ROSSINDETROIT, I know. I just thought it looked cool. And whats wrong with a little radiation? Hater.
@15 My favorite watches (I collect) have tritium painted hands. They’re obsolete now and being replaced by a substance called Luminova which radiates after exposure to light but is not self luminous. The tritium paint watches will all go dark in a few years and I’ll be sad. I’m actually glad someone’s still making glass and plastic capsule tritium illumination.
Back when I had a bike with a dynamo generator headlight, rather than a battery-powered one (this was back when you worried about dodging the velociraptors as you pedaled by, children) it was HORRIBLE. Hated it, hated it. The light was never bright enough, even at my top normal riding speed; it faded to dark whenever the bike wasn’t moving; and it made it feel like the wheels were half-inflated — much more resistance and difficulty than without it.
No dynamo generators on bikes for me, thanks. I’ll take the battery-powered lights and the environmental hit on using batteries, and will continue to work on greening the other aspects of my life.