Inspired by cats and mice, students competing in a biomimicry design challenge found a unique way to signal that a cyclist needs some space on the road. Fast Company shares this story.
Even though more cities are adding bike lanes, it still isn’t always easy to get from one place to another without riding in the middle of the street with cars at least some of the time. A group of design students came up with a safer alternative for streets that don’t yet have separated lanes: A set of “whiskers” that can move back and forth to signal turns, make cyclists more visible, and carve out a little extra space for a bike on the road.
With the push of a button on the handlebars, the four long whiskers on the Vibrasee can flick fully outward, discouraging a car from squeezing by. Reflective stripes make each whisker stand out even more, and when a cyclist wants to turn, they can flick the whiskers on one side in the right direction and flash lights inside as a signal.
The project was part of the Biomimicry Student Design Challenge, which asked design students to take inspiration from local ecology to tackle a transportation issue.