Bicycling Australia
The Fly6 video camera in a taillight was launched via a Kickstarter crowdfunding programme wherein the inventors Andrew Hagan and Kingsley Fiegert secured $266,594 surpassing their goal of $95,000.
The concept for the Fly6 came into being when one of the inventors was riding his bike and was targeted by some louts with a slingshot. The shock of being hit nearly caused him to crash, and before he could react they sped off in their car. Of course he spent some time thinking about the incident and how you deal with this sort of thing.
Accountability was the lingering thought, and the key word behind the creation of the Fly6. The idea was that drivers would come to realise that they could be filmed doing the wrong thing, and could even be prosecuted with the video evidence, which would result in changed behaviour and a safer environment for riders. Along the way the word ‘accountability’ was replaced with the less direct, less confronting aim of ‘Safety for Cyclists’. A softly, softly approach, no doubt recommended by their marketing advisers. To my mind the late Don Chipp and the Democrats’ approach is more appropriate with his Keep the Bastards Honest! campaign.
Given the goal of increased driver awareness I wonder about the point of the Fly6. A GoPro camera under the saddle would be less elegant (and it had already been invented by someone else), but hiding the camera in a device that looks like a large taillight seems a little counterproductive. The footage however speaks for itself and the growing mass of video spreading virally across the internet and current affairs programs must be having some effect.
Resolution of the Fly6 is 720 pixels wide which doesn’t seems super sharp after looking at high definition video, but it is clear enough to get number plate details when cars come within a couple of metres. In general the video provides a surprisingly stable and interesting record of your ride. Video is captured on a 16 GB Micro SD card which will hold around four hours’ worth before it automatically records over the oldest files.
The camera lens and also the electronic internals of the unit are protected with a nano-technology coating that sheds water and road grime for a clear picture and to prevent any internal corrosion. For some examples of the video clarity and some examples of extreme driver behaviour Google “Fly6.com/video”.
The taillight functions well with 12 bright, rear facing LEDs which can be dimmed for bunch rides and their light is also visible from the side. Mounting the unit securely is very easy with rubber shims supplied to match the angle of your seatpost and tough stretchy rubber straps.
RRP: $175
Weight: 126gr
Distributed by www.fly6.com
