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Cycling

Veloloop helps cyclists trip traffic signals

Traffic signals are a cyclist’s worse enemy. An ill-timed red light can be an unnecessary obstacle on an otherwise smooth bike ride. This wouldn’t push a responsible cyclist to skirt safety in the name of convenience, but it does get under the skin waiting at a red light at an empty intersection with no traffic to speak of. Since bicycles are so small, the systems responsible for triggering traffic signals never really see them, leaving you stuck for what feels like an eternity.

 The Veloloop is small, electrically charged antenna that lets your bike cast a car-sized shadow onto the loop sensors that govern signals on the road. It attaches to the rear wheel and works by detecting when there is a sensor below the bicycle, reacting by returning the frequency that particular sensor is looking for, thereby changing the light. And since it does this with so little energy, even a pair of AAA batteries will last for a year or more. Combine this with the Commuter x4 to make sure other motorists see you at night and increase both your convenience and safety all at once. The product will ship in January of 2015 for $99, and the campaign need $84,000 to be successful.