MNN - Mother Nature Network

Bicyclists will soon be able to alert others to their presence with an ear-piercing horn and strobe light accessory for their bikes. Launched on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, the Orp could help protect cyclists from wayward motorists.

 

Tory Orzeck, Orp's inventor, explained in his promotional video that cyclists often can't tell when a truck is going to turn.

 

"The bike goes straight, the truck turns and the truck always wins," Orzeck said.

 

Orp is a dual-tone high-decibel horn and front bike light that features two settings. The first is a 76-decibel friendly chirp to say, "I'm here." The second, dubbed Wail Tail, is a piercing 96-decibel sound coupled with twin high-power LED lights  that flash at the flip of a switch. The Wail Tail tells pedestrians and motorists to get out of the way. Just how loud is 96 decibels? It's louder than a car traveling at 70 mph and almost as loud as an elephant's trumpet.

 

The device measures only 1 ½ inches wide, can be recharged via a USB  computer connection and is waterproof. The light can be used in four modes: slow, fast, always on and super strobe, which is only activated with the Wail Tail.

 

 

The Orp has reached more than half of its Kickstarter funding goal of $90,000 with 18 days to go. The $40 pledge level available to 250 backers has sold out. However, others are encouraged to support the project with a $45 pledge, which means they'll receive one of the first Orps. For those who really want to get a taste for industrial design, Orzeck is offering five backer slots at $1,500 each, which entitle enthusiasts to spend the day at Orp Design Camp in Portland, Ore., and work on a new Orp product. The Orp is expected to ship in September.