The SPEED-VEST is a bicycle safety device and advocacy tool which displays the wearer’s current speed on their back in easy-to-read lighted numerals. There are some clear benefits to the Speedvest including attracting attention and letting motorists know that "on occasion" you may be going a little faster that the speed limit. The LCD's on the back illuminate your speed, very much like those lovely radar signs, letting everyone know exactly how fast your are traveling.
The system consists of a wheel speed sensor, a wearable numeric display and a small computer that does the thinking. The computer is an Arduino: an open-source embedded computing platform powered by an Amtel microcontroller. It runs for 6 hours on a 9 volt battery.
There could be some pretty interesting add-on applications once this hits mainstream. Imagine the bike path lit up with everyone's speed. Oh I can hear the chatter now....
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