UPDATE: Rideye cameras will now feature twice the video history-- 2.5 hours instead of the original 1.25 hours. The campaign is on track to hit quantities much higher than originally anticipated, which allows the purchase of components at a lower cost. All past and future pledges are eligible.
Cycling through heavy traffic just got a little less risky with Rideye camera surveillance, which documents bike accidents in HD, much like how black boxes are used to investigate the causes of airplane crashes.
As a mechanical engineer and avid bike rider, Cedric Bosch created Rideye to make cycling safer for everyone. After working on the project for the past year, Bosch launched a Kickstarter campaign this month to help move it into production. Initially, he became inspired to create Rideye after his best friend was seriously injured in a hit-and-run bike accident last year. Rideye's automatic video footage would identify hit-and-run drivers, and help prevent false claims.
"This is one of those products that people have been wanting for years, but nobody has made until now. People love to bike -- it's an insanely popular sport -- and biking to work is getting more and more popular each year. But everybody has this lingering fear that they'll get hit by a car, and the driver will drive away and never be found. Rideye solves that problem, and lets people ride with total peace of mind," Bosch told Mashable in an email.
Rideye' s bike-friendly features include a one-touch power button, 24-hour battery life and easy install on handlebars. If the camera is turned off at the time of a crash, accident-detection sensors will automatically begin to record, and once the camera's 4 GB internal memory or 1.25 hours of video time is filled, it will auto-delete the oldest content. With a USB plugin, camera footage can be saved to a computer.
As of Thursday, Rideye became one of the most popular Kickstarter technology projects. With over 150 Kickstarter backers, Bosch is enthusiastic that the campaign will exceed its $32,000 goal. A Rideye camera is now available for $99 to Kickstarter backers, although the retail price will eventually be $149. The campaign has until Oct. 10 to gain more supporters. Rideye plans to go into production this fall, and send shipments from November through December.
"At this point, I am targeting a new goal-- $100,000 (three times the original). We have some great stretch goals that we will unveil halfway through the project," Bosch said.