Monkeylectric LED bike wheel lights

Bikes Fun & Games Technology
Monkeylectric LED bike wheel lights

M132S Live3
M132S Live8
M132S Feature Photo 640
New LED bike wheel lights (as seen @ Maker Faire!)…

The Monkeylectric m132s is a revolutionary bike light that keeps you visible – and in style. Its ruggedized design is perfect for daily commuters, urban cyclists, casual evening riders, BMX, festivals – anyone that wants to be visible after dark and not feel like a second class citizen.

The m132s creates full color graphics on your spinning bike wheel, and it provides outstanding visibility. The all-weather design is affordable and installs in minutes on Road, City, Cruiser, Mountain and BMX bikes. The lighting effects can be easily customized anytime to fit your style – mellow to extreme.

The m132s sets a new standard for bike lighting with brightness, visual quality, effects sophistication, user control and durability that far exceed what has previously been available.

Make Pt0666
Here’s the section on hacking

Are you a hardware or software hacker that wants to customize your Monkeylectric? It’ll void your warranty, but we’ll help!

Here’s the hardware schematic for the m132s to help you on your way: m132s Schematic.

Here’s some simple hardware hacks you can do yourself:

  • swap in a lithium battery (the existing low-battery warning is perfect for a lithium-protector – just make sure you turn off the power when you start seeing it)
  • make handlebar mounted control buttons by using magnetic switches in parallel with the on-board buttons
  • power two units from one set of batteries
  • mount the batteries on opposite side of the wheel from the unit, to balance the weight

The m132s ships with a standard Atmel AVR 10-pin connector that you can use if you want to reprogram the m132s with your own code – experienced embedded systems hackers only!

And there’s a “Let it Glow!” contest on Instructables now.

Related:
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Spoke POV is an easy-to-make electronic kit toy that turns your bicycle wheel into a customized display. The project includes a free schematic design, open source software for uploading and editing stored bitmap images, and a high-quality kit with all the parts necessary to build your own.

10 thoughts on “Monkeylectric LED bike wheel lights

  1. Windell_Oskay says:

    Anyone ever heard of a STP16L596?
    Hey Dan, what chip are you actually using? :)

  2. timmaah says:

    Looks like the chip is the STP16CL596. Seems they left the “C out of the schematics.

    Looks like you can get them for about $1 a piece.

    http://www.rapidonline.com/Electronic-Components/Integrated-Circuits/LED-And-Display-Drivers/16-bit-LED-Display-drivers/72932/kw/

    Monolithic, low-current 16-bit shift registers designed for LED panel displays. The STP16C(L)596 contains a 16-bit serial-in, parallel-out shift register that feeds a 16-bit D-type storage register. In the output stage, sixteen regulated current sources are designed to provide 15-120mA contant current to drive the LEDs.

  3. dan goldwater says:

    yeah its stp16cl596, you can get them at digikey and elsewhere

  4. digger says:

    Hokey Spokes: http://www.hokeyspokes.com/ have been around for several years, do much the same thing, and cost less.

    Of course they are only monochrome LEDs, but you can program in text messages.

  5. Bits and Bikes says:

    I just posted a review of these lights, including a full comparison with Hokey Spokes, on my blog.

    http://blog.greaterbayshell.com/2008/05/24/review-monkeylectric-m132s-led-bike-light/

    I shot a few videos and photos of the lights in action, and include those in the review.

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