Wheely Neat: Experimental iPhone Nav System For Bikers

iphone nav

This prototype iPhone nav system mounts on standard bike helmets to help get cyclists where they’re going.  Devised by Tokyo iPhone app developers  Ubiquitous Entertainment, it runs on an original app that in addition to using the iPhone’s compass and GPS maps can also receive push notifications from Twitter (via TwitBird Pro) or phone calls with A2DP.

The head mounted device (HMD) is retractable, and as you might expect, the screen is a little jiggly during ride. Test cyclist Sho checked out the map while stopped or at traffic lights, not while pedaling. The HMD was so light it was secured with scotch tape; in later trials the iPhone was stuck in a pocket to avoid potential tumbles from the helmet.

As an urban biker sick of pulling out maps or trying to check Google maps on my phone, I love this idea,  though I would stick to keeping the phone in a pocket to avoid worry about someone snatching it and the perils of sudden showers.

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nicole_martinelli

Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco native who has lived in Milan and Florence, Italy. She's written for Wired.com, The New York Times and Newsweek. You can find her on Twitter , Facebook and Google+.

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  • Church of Apple

    Uhhh, the helmet is supposed to protect your head from smashing against the pavement. Is the iPhone supposed to provide further cushioning or what? 0_o

  • PDM777

    Not very Areodynamic!

  • Mike

    ridiculous. use a handlebar mount and write ‘turd’ in marker on your forehead to get the same effect without putting your iphone at risk.

  • makan

    Yeah, like bicyclists will look at the iphone only when stopped. Just like they obey all traffic laws and stop at stop signs and red lights.