For my final major project I have chosen to design a cycle bag, which has stemmed from being an avid cyclist myself. Before designing a bag I decided to understand what materials are used in backpacks currently available as these would determine everything about the backpack, along with how it will be made as well as how I can incorporate technology into this to create a vivid and interesting product which stands out from the pack. I also want to develop cycle bags so they are more comfortable and functional when cycling, in particular exploring ergonomics and the shape of the human body. Over 580,000 trips by bicycle are made everyday in London (Wikipedia, s.d.). With around 109 people being killed on the roads last year whilst cycling (Rospa, 2014). Twenty-two people have already been killed in 2015 so far (beyond the kerb, 2015).
Being well seen and clearly visible to motorists when cycling is key, not only to cyclists to avoid accidents but also to other road users so they can safely see and acknowledge you’re using the road and your whereabouts on the road. Having something as simple as a set of lights on your bike can increase your visibility. Many cyclists also wear visible clothing as well as utilising reflective strips and neon colours.
I want to create a bag that increases the visibility of a cyclist in this way, designing a bag that can be recognised by anyone from far away to signal that there is a cyclist up ahead or nearby. This would create a bridge between two products to demonstrate how wearable technology can be used in everyone’s day to day, and help to reduce both the amount of accidents on our roads and the number of cyclists killed each year.
To begin my research into cycle bags I began looking at what I use when I am cycling. I picked out general objects which everyone may carry with them when cycling place to place, or even commuting to work. cycling with so bags can be particularly uncomfortable as all the objects sit in the bottom of the bag, thus placing pressure on the base of the spine. My bag needs to be comfortable for cyclists so I will be looking at creating a comfortable backpack for the spine. For my backpack I will be using less conventional materials to attain a rigid backpack shape, but also give it enough flexibility to bend and change shape. To achieve this I will be using a polypropylene structure with panels for each side. These panels will then be tightly wrapped in fabric and sewn together, giving the bag a fabric feel but a strong supported shape.
Learning from these bags, I want to keep the comfortable aspects of the hiking bag and its support on the back, combined with the small and compact form of the Held bag. I don’t want to create a normal flat back for the bag, but instead create a curve, which could be hard to achieve in fabric. To begin my initial ideas, I started off by looking at the shape of the spine. To do this I used the book ‘The Measure of Man” (2001), which gave me information on the average back sizes of males and females. Within my sketches I drew a spine to incorporate my focus and what I am primarily looking to achieve into the design.
When designing where my LEDS would be placed on my bag, I considered squares and circles and other various shapes stuck onto the back of the bag, but decided that these looks were not correct and did not match the form of my bags.
I began experimenting with making a pattern on the back of the bag, and found that this was more effective than only having small sections that lit up. An entire panel with the pattern placed over it would create an interesting display and would be far more impressive than just the entire back section lighting up. I used primarily geometric forms for this as I found they were most striking, my main inspiration for the patterns came from looking at low poly 3D objects. I found the facets on the objects most pleasing to look at, along with the visual aspect in which our brains find it easier to process than simple 3D forms.
To test my bag design I decided to begin modelling in cardboard, which gave me an idea of the shape and its fit to the spine. I made four of these models, changing what I disliked most about the model for the next one until I had got the shape right and finished testing my bag on my user and my back shape to ensure it was right. I also took one of these cardboard models and placed LED strips on it to test out the lighting and how well it illuminated. I found that running twelve volts through the LEDs made them far too bright, so reduced them down to a nine volt battery and this created an adequate brightness that wasn’t blinding.Combined with my use of LED’s I felt like the bag could have more of a purpose than just a light and a bag, therefore I decided to incorporate indicators for the cyclist. Thus, rather than sticking out an arm, they could press a button and indicate in which direction they are planning on turning before the junction. This is another feature which would further benefit the user and keep them safer as it allows them to only temporarily remove their hand from the handlebars, rather than a more prolonged period of indicating with their arm out. This is especially useful if the user isn’t as experienced and doesn’t feel comfortable letting go of the handlebars, or even has problems with their balance.
I made a lightweight polypropylene model of the backpack this gave me an idea of the size and shape, I combined this with my electronics to see how the LED lights came through the polypropylene. To give me an idea of how the bag would look as one solid colour I decided to wrap the panels in fabric to show how the bag would look when finished.
Development sketches with deciding how my LEDS would look on the front straps of the bag, I decided to use a full strip to cover the entire strap to give off the most light.
My backpack is designed to help reduce the number of fatalities on the road by creating a visual aid in which alerted other road users to their position and whereabouts in dark conditions. My aim was to design a backpack which was more ergonomic than typical cycling bags to create a more comfortable and better experience, along with the bags shape I wanted to incorporate wearable technology using LEDs into the design to increase visibility. These LEDs connected to an arduino wired with two small push buttons in the straps enable them to become indicators, when pressed they blink seven times to display to the car behind the direction in which you have decided to go either left or right along with a set of LEDs on the front two straps to signal to the oncoming traffic which direction is being taken.
For the manufacture of my backpack the plastic shell would be created for the bag to hold its more ergonomic shape, the shell would be blow moulded from polypropylene as this would be rigid but also allow the bag to flex.The fabric coating on the outside would be a cordura which is a durable waterproof fabric from W, along with nylon lining on the inside of the bag.The electronics would need to be converted from the prototyped arduino into a circuit board, along with the LED panel I created on the back.
I feel that my design works effectively as both a backpack and a visual aid. Other improvements I would make to the backpack, would be making it a more effective bag modifying the shape slightly as I found looking over my shoulder was a bit difficult whilst also developing the inside and how certain objects can be carried, as a common problem with bags is when objects are placed inside they impact the fabric and dig into the body causing an uncomfortable experience, with my bag being made from polypropylene this can be reduced due to its rigid plastic structure, I would develop compartments for the bag to help reduce this. With additional time and money I would create another model using vacuum forming with these changes, whilst along with researching fabrics to use a mix on different part.
