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Bicycles have used dynamo generators to power headlights and taillights for a long time. We wondered if you could use such a generator to power something else.
A lot of people have experimented with led-embedded clothing, and we were fascinated withLeah Beuchley’s led jacket. You can see her insructable for it here. The thing is that this and other designs require a battery to work, so we thought combining these two technologies might be interesting.
The Dynamo would generate power as it usually does, but will send the power to contact points on the handlebars of the bike. The jacket, in turn, will have contact points on the palm of gloves that are sewn to the sleeve but can be folded away when not in use, similar to the Loki LokiMitt. These contacts will be connected to LEDs in the jacket by conductive thread. When the glove meets the handlebar, the circuit is completed and the dynamo powers the lights in the jacket!
In addition to the consistent or blinking light, when the rider touches the brake lever with his/her hand, a second set of lights turns on, just like a car brake light. Other light effects, such as a turn signals, could be achieved with other points on the handlebar that the rider need only reach out and touch.
