Vibrobelt Encourages Cyclists in the Right Direction

Feb-23-13 The Vibrobelt aims to keep cyclists safe and on-course, vibrating in different ways to indicate upcoming turns.

Many long-distance bicyclists face the challenge of negotiating unfamiliar terrain while also reading a map or GPS device. The Vibrobelt works with a GPS device to nudge the rider in the correct direction while still letting them keep their eyes on the road. Vibrating actuators indicate left or right turns as well as sending backwards or forwards commands, while coded buzzes relay information about how far it is to the programmed destination.

In tests with 20 volunteers, the riders wearing their belt reached their destination more quickly than riders who relied only on a GPS screen. The team, with supervisor Anders Bouwer, plans to debut their system in March at the Intelligent User Interfaces conference at Santa Monic, California.

Image: Eryk Klucinski

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