Video courtesy of BikePump
BikePump
A persistence of vision display in a bicycle wheel
BikePump partners with NYC e-bike couriers to deliver highly targeted, location-based advertising through an innovative bike wheel display. At Tomorrow Lab, I worked on the design and engineering of BikePump’s core hardware product, a persistence of vision display built into the front wheel of a delivery bike.
Industrial Design, Mechanical Design
Built at Tomorrow Lab
Industrial Design
The goal of this project was to take a working electronic system and wrap it in a manufacturable housing that could be easily assembled in or around a stock bike wheel. It had to be eye-catching when at rest but understated enough to not distract from the illuminated visuals while in motion. Mechanically, it had to fit tightly inside a web of spokes and provide an opaque backing to block out any light around the LED arms.
Mechanical Design
I designed a custom slip ring and encoder assembly to track the wheel’s rotation and transfer power to the display from a battery on the bike.
Vented plastic panels reduce the effect of wind on the bike by allowing air to pass through the wheel while still providing an opaque background for the LED display.
Spotted on the street!