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Wave your hands to navigate the city by bike with Haïku

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haiku_gesture-controlled_urban-commuter-cycling-computer_3-states

Gesture control is offering more ways to manipulate our everyday electronic devices, and while most of us have used it on mobile phones, computers, or even gaming systems, now Haïku is bringing gestures to a connected urban cycling computer. Developed by Asphalt Lab and funded with the help of successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns earlier this year, their new take on an affordable, easy-to-use computer for commuters and other modern city cyclists is about to be officially launched at CES with early spring delivery. Check out how it neatly integrates ride tracking, navigation, and even unobtrusive notifications all controlled by a wave of the hand…

Designed to provide everyday ride tracking and on the bike integration of your electronics, Haiku was always meant to be a less intrusive piece of technology on your handlebars. Trying to use your phone while riding is never easy, or for that matter safe, so the idea was to be able to flip through the data you wanted access to, simply by waving your hand over Haiku.

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In the end it is more of a wave of the thumb for most use, as you can position the small computer near you grip where you often won’t even have to take your hand off the bar. The full wave then brings it back to the main home ride metrics screen. At the same time, when you don’t want to be distracted on the ride, it just sits quietly in the background, paired to your smartphone and ready to access your data.

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In all essence it actually isn’t a bike computer itself, but a remote control for your phone. Haiku seamlessly pairs via Bluetooth with a your smartphone and Haiku’s app, automatically turning itself on when you clip it to the magnetic mount that stays attached to your handlebar. When you pop it off at the end of the ride, Haiku then automatically syncs your ride data into the cloud.

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Haiku tracks your ride with your phone and lets you scroll through typical ride metrics like speed, time & distance. But its bigger functionality is its features like navigation and notifications, the kind of thing you are likely to need when you are riding across town to meet up with friends. To navigate, you use the paired app to set your destination, then lock the phone, pop it in your pocket, and you get turn-by-turn directions on the bar-mounted display. You can still thumb through the other features as you go, including the unobtrusive notifications that pop up with a blue light and can be flipped through or ignored to return to Haiku’s other functionality.

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After its successful crowdfunding Haiku will be available to buy direct this spring for 100€. But for now they are still offering a pre-order sale for 85€ that goes through Indiegogo. They’ve had over 900 backers so far, and have an initial production batch of 1500 that is making its way through the middle steps of its manufacturing now, with it all to be ready in March 2017.

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Nash
Nash
7 years ago

A useful notification would be text stating that your a massive nerd and your 1 inch headset is loose yet again.

Peter J. Sirman
7 years ago

Those lights look to be a massive distraction at night. I also see zero need for access to data or calls/texts on my cell phone. Here in Ontario you will be charged with distracted driving should an officer choose to exert themselves.

Jdog
Jdog
7 years ago

As we all fight against our addiction to screens, we will begin to look for more way in which no screen is around us. I’ll pass. This addiction sucks and we need a way out. http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/30/health/americans-screen-time-nielsen/

myke2241
myke2241
7 years ago
Reply to  Jdog

Did you submit this to br via us mail and using a typewriter to compose the message….

Ace
Ace
7 years ago

I think this is a great idea!! Navigating a touch screen when riding can get a little cumbersome and in city traffic I don’t like to take both hands off the bars to do it.This would help you keep going and still be in touch.

jimbo
jimbo
7 years ago

The basic but functional display seems nice, and ok for road cyclers, but I feel you’ll miss the market with wider handlebars due to it being a single unit. A plug in sensor would be much more practical, something you could mount over your gear/brake levers so you spend less time with your hand off the bar.
As it is it looks very unnatural to use and a little bit (deleted) with the waves.

Thumb is fine.

Andy
Andy
7 years ago

How useful exactly is turn by turn bike navigation? Memorizing some cross streets on my phone then riding around has always worked for me. Then you get a mental map of your area and rely less and less on your device. You know they say ancient humans were way way smarter than we are in terms of memory–without written language EVERYTHING was up there in their craniums. It had to be. And we’ve lost virtually all those skills of reading the land and memorizing generations of combined knowledge. So what’s it got to do with this GPS thing? Well it’s another stupid piece of electronics that is supposed to save you time but achieves the exact opposite and turns the rider into an idiotic aggravated monkey poking at buttons and riding ignorantly into oncoming traffic. Because somebody felt that observing the world was too damn hard.

Robin
Robin
7 years ago
Reply to  Andy

Who’s “they”? I hear them mentioned a lot, but their actual identity (-ies) seems to be kept über secret.

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