We’ve seen some silly motorcycle inventions in our time, but the glove GPS could be one of the silliest and possibly also dangerous.
The Friedlander TurnPoint Smart Glove system is a standard right glove and a left glove with a pocket on the back to fit a round dial that illuminates to point navigation directions.
It looks like a distraction well away from where you should be looking or a temptation to ride along one-handed while you check your bearings.
And, in a crash, the bulky GPS could cause more damage to your hand.
The system is only at the Kickstarter crowd-funding stage so far.
It looks unlikely to go into production judging by the $697 pledged so far by eight backers with a target of $125,000 and 43 days to go.
The gloves cost $149 if you pledge now, but if they go into production they will cost $249.
Most riders who use GPS on their bikes use a dedicated unit or their smartphone, mounted on the handlebars where they can easily see it.
Why would you want a GPS on the back of your hand? Who asked for such an invention?
Well, inventor and rider Steve Friedlander of Lab Brothers, Atlanta, Georgia, says those screens are too far away and difficult to see.
I have to agree, but with Bluetooth communications, you can also have audio prompts. In fact, I can usually successfully navigate without having to look at my phone which I keep in my pocket.
The Friedlander system is actually a Bluetooth unit that communicates with your phone’s navigation app. It’s iOS, but an Android app is being developed.
The device’s 18 bright red, green, blue and white LEDs point the direction for turns and Steve reckons they can be seen in your periphery vision without having to look away from the road.
However, that would depend on where your handlebars are located. On a sportsbike, they would be very difficult to see.
Riders can also check how far to the next turn by pressing their thumb and forefinger together which changes the LEDs showing increments on the dial in miles from 0 to 4.
Steve, who has more than 80 patents in consumer electronics, is also looking at other functions for the glove such as a compass and displaying how much is left off the eight-hour battery charge.