Motorcycle Helmet Brake/Indicator Light
February 2018
I. Motivation
Last year, I was rear-ended by a concrete mixing truck on 3rd Street, in front of AT&T Park. While my bike was being repaired in the shop, I set out to build a helmet-mounted lighting system to increase my visibility to other motorists.
II. Considerations & Requirements
Responsiveness: Low latency (<100ms) between tail light activation and helmet light activation
Safety: Minimal hardware on helmet to reduce damage during a crash
Visual unity: Helmet brake and indicator patterns should replicate those of motorcycle
III. Materials
On-board motorcycle
ESP32 microcontroller
12V relay modules
Wiring harness adapter (custom)
On helmet
WS2812B RGB individually-addressable LED strip
USB-A male pigtail
In backpack
ESP32
Portable USB charger
USB extension cable - 1.5m
USB extension cable (coiled)
IV. Circuit layout
[Insert image from Fritzing here]
V. Code
Master
Slave
VI. Testing
VII. Conclusion and next steps
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VIII. Acknowledgements
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