Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Laserlight Core: A smart projection system for safer cycling

In any discussion of cyclist visibility and safety, there is a victim-blaming undertone that it’s partly a cyclist’s fault he got hit if he or she’s not lit up like a runway.

The rider, whoever he or she is, is one of many cyclists these days (including myself) who use rear and sometimes front lights, even in the daytime. But do these lights work as well as we think? And are lights alone enough?

Introducing Laserlight Core: the world’s safest bike light. It is a smart projection system that’s designed for safer cycling. It works by projecting an image of a cyclist 20 feet in front of you as you ride.

Created by the U.K. startup Beryl, Laserlight Core tackles the issue of cyclist visibility in vehicle blind spots.

Beryl CEO Emily Brooke said, “We have combined a high-spec white front light with the patented Beryl laser projection, allowing cyclists to both see and be seen, beaming out blind spots as they ride through the city. The light can function either as a standard front light or, with [the] laser enabled, with a push of a button.”

In reality, the Laserlight Core is the company’s second-generation light, incorporating improvements in laser technology to produce Beryl’s clearest, most defined laser projection to date. It includes various features, including day flash mode, that beams out an impressive 400 lumens.

Made for all-weather riding. Laserlight Core is IP54, meaning it will ride safely through winter and wet days.

You can charge it using a standard micro USB. No need for a custom cable. Moreover, its high-performance battery can run for more than 41 hours.

Laserlight Core battery life
Laserlight Core battery life

The Laserlight Core weighs 100g with its bracket and just 91g without. It measures 10.6cm end to end, is 3.3cm wide, and 3.9cm tall. It comes with a simple click-lock bracket for a click-off mechanism.

Brooke said, “The Laserlight is a patented technology, and so Beryl is the only company that uses the forward image projection. We believe that the Laserlight is unique in the space, as it focuses on strategic visibility: Visibility where it really matters.”