ABSTRACT
Urban cycling is often a solitary pursuit, as many cities do not provide infrastructure to facilitate social cycling, such as protected bike lanes. Negotiating congested streets can be stressful, even under the best conditions. The challenges of obstacle avoidance are amplified at night, when reduced visibility increases the risk of collision. In order to promote social cycling at night, we introduce [Bike] Swarm. Inspired by the natural synchrony emerging in swarms of nocturnal insects such as crickets and fireflies, [Bike] Swarm automatically inducts cyclists into a collective of nearby riders. A removable sheath of white LED illuminators is attached to the bicycle frame, providing a baseline level of illumination. When cyclists enter a 5-meter radius of other [Bike] Swarm riders, their bicycle lights begin pulsating in unison, creating a visually unified presence and extending membership in a self-organizing community that is increasing safety cooperatively.
Supplemental Material
- John Buck and Elisabeth Buck. 1976. Synchronous Fireflies. Scientific American , Vol. 234, 5 (1976), 74.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Buck John. 1988. Synchronous Rhythmic Flashing of Fireflies. II. The Quarterly Review of Biology , Vol. 63, 3 (1988), 265.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Jonas Larsen. 2017. The Making of a Pro-cycling City: Social Practices and Bicycle Mobilities. Environment and Planning A , Vol. 49, 4 (2017), 876 -- 892.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Klara Scheurenbrand, Elizabeth Parsons, Benedetta Cappellini, and Anthony Patterson. 2018. Cycling into Headwinds: Analyzing Practices That Inhibit Sustainability. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing , Vol. 37, 2 (2018), 227 -- 244.Google ScholarCross Ref
Index Terms
- Bike Swarm
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