Hammerhead
Hands-Free Bicycle Navigation

Hammerhead came to Tomorrow Lab looking to fulfill their vision of creating a smart, safe, Bluetooth-connected, hands-free bicycle navigation display device. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, and a position in the 2014 RG/A Accelerator program, the Hammerhead team had their form factor clearly mapped out and a few prototypes. Tomorrow Lab took on the task of fine-tuning the industrial design, electronics, and mechanical engineering of the mount and housing.

With the bulk of the design complete prior to onboarding Tomorrow Lab, the biggest challenge came in designing for manufacture including meeting the specific housing requirements and material selections. With an app-based platform leveraging Bluetooth 4.0 and location services, it had to stay connected with the phone, ensuring the whole ecosystem keeps cyclists on track. You can buy the Hammerhead One here.

01 — Design Concept & Product Architecture

With the help of Hammerhead, we built a LED light pattern that not only fit perfectly into the circuit and housing but also integrated into the operating system. To ensure the factory understood every detail, and that Hammerhead knew how to work with these often minute changes, Tomorrow Lab not only offered manufacturing support but also accompanied Hammerhead to China to have feet on the ground at the factory.

02 — Electrical Engineering

The Hammerhead device uses a ‘T’-shaped RGB LED interface as its main communication method to the user. We created a clever ‘soft-key kill switch’ power circuit design that extends the battery life to the maximum extent possible while the device is not in use. This interface, when combined with Hammerhead’s software, takes complicated directional instructions and makes them simple. It affords a more safe and enjoyable way to receive navigation directions while riding your bike. Through the app, it also provides an online community of routes and riders.

03 — Mechanical Engineering

We designed a testing rig around a full-sized bicycle in order to closely simulate the low-frequency vibrations created when cycling over uneven pavement. We then conducted various simulations using a weighted mass suspended from a cantilever beam attached to the bicycle. By combining research of existing bracket choices for lights, bells, cameras, Garmins, and the test results of the rig, we determined the kinds of brackets that would ensure stability and designed a visually appealing bracket for the tail of the device. The device had to be waterproof, shake-resistant, sturdy, and maintain both a constant connection, and a high battery life to feed the LEDs for consistent safety and security.

Hammerhead
Hands-Free Bicycle Navigation

01 — Design Concept & Product Architecture

02 — Electrical Engineering

Hammerhead — Hands-Free Bicycle Navigation

03 — Mechanical Engineering

Hammerhead — Hands-Free Bicycle Navigation

Hammerhead Hands-Free Bicycle Navigation

01 — Design Concept & Product Architecture

02 — Electrical Engineering

Hammerhead — Hands-Free Bicycle Navigation

03 — Mechanical Engineering

Hammerhead — Hands-Free Bicycle Navigation

Hammerhead
Hands-Free Bicycle Navigation