Kickstarter Campaign to fund batch production of a Bicycle Movement Alert

I still think a good lock is a better solution.

I still think a good lock is a better solution.

but surely,

were you to lock your bicycle outside a cafe or public house, with a good lock, (e.g. a Kryptonite lock with a Sold Secure rating Silver or Gold), then be positioned in that venue with your gaze away from your bicycle,

it would be useful to know if the bicycle/lock moves to an extent which suggests somebody might be in the process of attempting to break your lock?

(as i for one would find this useful, as i'd go outside and investigate what's happening - hopefully being able to intervene via negotiation to prevent my bicycle from being stolen!! - which was the whole impetus behind building a working prototype, and attempting development of the idea via open source product development..)

ps., did you see this post? :-)

Have you researched how long the average bike theft takes?

I'd want to see some stats suggesting that the BMA will alert me quickly enough that I might be able to get out the pub/cafe etc in time to do more than watch my bike disappearing into the distance.

Have you researched how long the average bike theft takes?

I'd want to see some stats suggesting that the BMA will alert me quickly enough that I might be able to get out the pub/cafe etc in time to do more than watch my bike disappearing into the distance.

satisfied that the product could add peace-of-mind to some in certain scenarios (such as that pictured here), and also potentially assist in theft-prevention..

.. via,

• testing the working prototype in a theft-like attempt scenario
  
• anecdotal evidence: hearing accounts of thefts / attempted thefts where the BMA could have assisted in reaction-time or in the ability to react to anything at all (a vibration on either a key-fob or mobile phone, in the absence of a line-of-sight to the bike)
  
  
  

as updated on the webpage last night, the next step is to test the Lean Startup question,

*Lean Startup* methodology suggests that instead of doing any more work, one thing needs to be tested: do people who cycle about urban centres want this product?

• are they prepared to pay £10 for it?
• are they prepared to pledge this £10 in exchange for a working product via a medium such as Kickstarter?
Hence, a far-reaching fundraising campaign is needed to answer this question..

{the answer to the question purely for forum-mongers seems to be no - from the lacklustre response so far.. although all constructive contributions pledged so far via posts or otherwise are appreciated; must be noted London Hackspace has by far been the most helpful place to visit in an attempt to explore the possibilities of this project}

forum-monger involvement in such a fund-raising campaign would be welcome.. especially by those (if any!) who feel that such a product might be useful to them personally..

An alarm wouldn't be difficult to implement into the sensor unit, I think that that, combined with the notification would prove more useful in actually preventing the theft, than just the notification.
Also, I have a bit of experience with Android and bluetooth interfaces with embedded systems, I'm tentatively interested in getting involved, get in touch if you'd like to discuss.

And Im a graphic designer who wouldnt mind having a side project to work on in the evenings/ weekends..

pm if you think I can be of any assistance

Pebblebee Hornet seems to the the closest competitor. Price is $36/unit.

blimey - some positive response, i'm astounded (!).. PMs to follow @alialias and @apc - if you're still with us..

from the video at pebblebee.com,

the juicy details:

(they've spent a year developing this product)

range: 150ft {1min 57 secs}

"multiple configurations to alert the user if your bee is moving away, so you don't lose it in the first place" {2m 17s}

:. bicycle movement alert feature ticked,

"you can even use the Pebble Bee cloud which unites family and friends to share Pebble Bee equipped belongings... the Pebble Bee network uses all Pebble Bee users to help locate your item on Google Maps, . if its in proximity to somebody who is a Pebble Bee friend, it will notify you" {2min 47s}

:. BMA phase 2/3: tick (!)

battery life: 3 years (!)

"Pebble Bee motion detection will be revolutionary ..." {3min 55}

"we realise the potential, and wanna provide our developer community with free access to the Pebble Bee software developer kit so anyone can develop their own creative and 'cool' applications" {4min 7sec}

:-) ahha - there could still be a specific 'Bicycle Movement Alert' app. yet!!!!

continues: "... we want the community to create and harness this great capability.. imagine the endless possibilities right at your fingertips"

the Pebble Bee has a unique side-button that can be used for unlimited amount of phone actions
{4min 30}

water-resistant

@gereonb - thx so much for posting, was completely unaware of this product...

for its application for use as a Bicycle Movement Alert, just one question..

how to attach the movement-detector/transmitter to the bicycle, without it being obvious??!

or, make it obvious, but tamper-proof - hence another product needed to securely connect such a thing to a lock / frame??!

so anybody wanna team-up and build a Bicycle Movement Alert app. to work with the PebbleBee??!

Dangle it off the seatpost like the Japanese with another miscel item and they'd never know.

hmm, have purchased a Pebblebee Bluetooth Hornet for $37 + $10 shipping,

will see what the Android app. is like, perhaps there is potential for an lfgss BMA app??!

any developers out there who might fancy the challenge?!

in the meantime, will get testing the device as a BMA once its arrived, :-)

:-)

deffo scope for creativity with where to place the movement-detector (!),

my own thoughts so far:

• hidden under the nose of the saddle (hence the saddle would need to be pretty secure in case they run off with that!!)

• hidden within a canvas lock cover (!!!)

• securely attached to the lock or frame via some other device..

more brainwaves welcome..