Industrial Design lecturer Sandy Walker has invented Safety Bottle Light, a water bottle fitted with a removable and rechargeable LED light, which provides 360 degree visibility of the bike and rider for approaching drivers.
Walker is working with ITEK, the technology commercialisation arm of the University, to commercialise the product so it will be available for recreational riders to purchase sometime this year.
Walker says his primary motivation in inventing Safety Bottle Light is to decrease the risk of cyclist-car accidents due to poor visibility, particularly at dawn and dusk.
"I’m a cyclist myself and I usually ride in the early mornings. As a cyclist, one of your concerns is always visibility to other traffic," Walker said.
"Last year I was involved in a Design Institute of Australia exhibition around the theme of water and I was thinking what I could design for this exhibition. I was looking at sustainability, safety and cycling and then I started wondering if you could turn a water bottle, which all cyclists carry, into a light source which has a large surface area to increase visibility, particularly from the side view of a bike.
"One of the problems with current bike lights is the front light shines forward and the rear light shines backwards, but side visibility is a problem. When you’re riding on the road or through a round-a-bout and you see a car approaching from the side, you think ‘have they seen me, are they going to keep coming?’."
Walker produced prototypes for the exhibition and, after receiving positive feedback from fellow recreational cyclists, decided to approach ITEK with his final design.
ITEK has patented the invention and is currently negotiating with companies to take on manufacturing and distribution rights for the product.
Walker believes his invention will not only be popular with cyclists, but could also be used by early morning runners, for children’s back packs, and for outdoor activities such as hiking and bushwalking.
