Crowdfunding project of the week: Shoka Bell for bicyclists

We are back with another ‘Crowdfunding project of the week’, where we highlight the coolest tech gadgets featured on sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Are you ready for this week’s campaign? Let’s jump right in.

Other featured projects:

• CASE Remote Air helps control a DSLR camera wirelessly
• The COWAROBOT R1 is a suitcase that follows you
• The Superbook turns your smartphone into a laptop
• Modobag is a luggage bag you can ride!

This time around we are taking a look at the Shoka Bell, an accessory that will prove to be very useful and improve security for bicycle riders. The concept is very simple; this is intended to be a magnet-mounted bell that does a bit more than a traditional bike accessory.

For starters, it has multiple types of bell sounds. These can be activated with an integrated joystick. Some sounds are meant for pedestrians, being much more subtle, while other louder noises are inteded for cars. You can have 8 different tones at all times, and it’s simple download new ones using the app. The company claims the Shoka Bell can be twice as loud as a traditional bell, so chances are you will be heard.

Another great feature is a simple navigation system. Just connect your smartphone and initiate navigation. You can avoid dangerous intersections, hills and other biking inconveniences. The Shoka Bell will display arrows telling you where to go. It is very simple and clean, as well as much less distracting than actually mounting a smartphone.

It also has a front light to make you more visible, 200 hours of battery life (wow!) and a theft motion detector. You will know if somebody moves your bike. And there will be an alert if the bike is within 250 meters from your position. Furthermore, the app will give you the bike’s last seen location.

There is a bit of a downside, though. The Android app is not ready yet, but the team says they are working hard on getting this taken care of. Estimated delivery is set for March 2017, so chances are it will be ready by then.

We believe it’s a nice little tool to keep your riding safer. There are still some early bird special spots, meaning you can get it for as low as $99. Wait more and the minimum price may go up to $119. Who’s signing up for this one?