I picked up the first functional prototype of Velalert bicycle radar on Thursday of this week and brought it home for some testing over the weekend. We did a little testing at Radicand before loading it up to see how sensitive it was. It worked very well out to about 15 feet or so, but beyond that distance the prototype became a little "erratic" (extraneous blips). We're aiming for a much broader visibility range for Velalert, but I am still going to take this prototype out for some rides to get a sense for the front screen and how best to communicate information while riding along in traffic.
Here are a couple short videos I shot of the ultrasonic radar prototype in action. The first is indoors and the second is outdoors on the street outside Radicand. It's a little hard to see but the LEDs on both the rear sensor and the front screen increase as an object gets closer to sensor. Outside we simulated an approaching car by running up behind the bike with a board in hand.
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