Skip to main content

Ford develops Smart Jacket to improve cyclist safety

Ford has developed clothing which has built-in indicators and flashing brake lights for cyclists. Smart Jacket was developed with urban cycling clothing specialist Lumo and mobility software company Tome, and allows cyclists to better indicate their presence and intentions to other road users. The wearable’s navigation app wirelessly connects to smartphones and vibrates the jacket’s sleeves to help riders take the right direction to avoid busy roads.
June 26, 2018 Read time: 1 min

278 Ford has developed clothing which has built-in indicators and flashing brake lights for cyclists.

Smart Jacket was developed with urban cycling clothing specialist Lumo and mobility software company Tome, and allows cyclists to better indicate their presence and intentions to other road users. The wearable’s navigation app wirelessly connects to smartphones and vibrates the jacket’s sleeves to help riders take the right direction to avoid busy roads.

It features audible interfaces and a system which allows cyclists to use bodily movements to take calls, receive messages and repeat navigation guidance.

The product is part of Ford’s Share The Road campaign, whose stated aim is fostering greater empathy between drivers and cyclists.

Ford is now applying for a patent to develop the prototype further.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ford developing complete virtual factory
    August 2, 2012
    Ford is developing a complete virtual factory to simulate the full assembly line production process. The company says this will enable it to improve quality and cut costs in real world manufacturing facilities by creating and analysing computer simulations of vehicle production procedures.
  • Migrating to advanced traffic management systems
    March 14, 2012
    Rich pickings of reduced cost and greater value are up for grabs as highway authorities migrate to new traffic management systems – if they choose their paths wisely. Jon Masters reports. Experience gained and expertise developed over the past decade are informing good advice for transport agencies contemplating new or expanded traffic management systems. Technological projects aimed at reducing road congestion may be frequently unique and invariably complex, but a picture is emerging of sensible, prudent a
  • Dutch launch intelligent cycle
    December 17, 2014
    The Netherlands on Monday launched its first-ever ‘intelligent bicycle, fitted with an array of electronic devices to help bring down the high accident rate among elderly cyclists in the cycle-mad country. Developed for the government by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the intelligent bicycle prototype runs on electricity, and sports a forward-looking radar mounted below the handlebars and a camera in the rear mudguard.
  • Intersection management, cooperative infrastructures - what next?
    February 1, 2012
    What do recent vehicle recalls mean for future cooperative infrastructures? Anthony Smith takes a look. As ITS industry stakeholders converge on Amsterdam for the 2010 Cooperative Mobility Showcase, an unprecedentedly wide range of technologies will be on display demonstrating what might be achievable in the future from innovations based on Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications.