Recently we highlighted motorcycle gloves with a built-in GPS and now SignalWear has launched Smart Signal Blinking Gloves with LED indicator signals inserted in the back.
Read about the GPS gloves here.
SignalWear CEO and co-founder Troy De Baca says they also hope to launch a GPS version with the chevron signals showing the rider which way to go.
Troy says he invented the indicator gloves after a crash in 2012. He says a rider’s gloves are higher than the indicators on their bike, so the flashing is more easily visible to motorists.
However, you have to take your hand off the handlebars for motorists behind you to see the indicator signals.
BUY SMART TURN SYSTEM INDICATORS
In left-hand-drive countries this might be of some use as left turns are more crucial for indicating as that is the direction for turning across traffic.
In right-hand-drive countries, you would have to take your right hand off the throttle to indicate!
SignalWear suggest that you only use your left hand for right turns as shown in this photo.
They also suggest a pillion could help with the turn signals.
SignalWear’s Smart Signal Blinking Gloves come in a manual version where you tilt your hand or press thumb and forefinger together to activate.
We wonder if these “lane-changer” gloves would become a bit confusing as you have to use your bike indicators and the glove indicator as well.
There is also an automatic variant that uses a controller installed in your bike to automatically activate by syncing with the bike’s turn signals.
Signal controllerSignalWear lane-changer gloves cost $US149 which is almost $A200. The smart gloves retail for $US169 (about $A220).
They are made of cow leather and come in wrist and gauntlet style with gel palms for comfort and a moisture-wicking lining, but no knuckle protectors.
Now the Denver company has launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to go to the next step with gloves that use Bluetooth to connect with your phone’s navigation app.
Like the GPS gloves mentioned earlier, they would light up to show the rider which way to turn.
Their crowdfunding campaign has attracted just $835 of their $25,000 target and they say they will go ahead only if they reach their goal by May 19, 2017.