While I don’t bike as much as I used to, I very much enjoy cruising around on my motorcycle. However, I recently moved to a new city, so getting lost is a common occurrence, and I’m just not willing to pull out my Nexus 4 and risk shattering that gorgeous glass back. Enter Hammerhead Navigation. Not your normal phone cradle, handlebar attachment, it ensures that your phone never has to leave your pocket, and it has several built in features that really make this seemingly-simple tool an excellent addition to any biker’s arsenal. Hammerhead sports RGB LEDs, consisting of a center and top light array, all of which can be configured in the included app to suit your preferences. The center array provides information such as the distance to your destination, an upcoming turn in your route, or even the length of the incline you’re currently working hard to pedal over. The top array directs your turns. Small sidelights indicate the direction you’re planning to take to nearby pedestrians and vehicles, and there’s a headlight on the front that can flash or be dimmed. If you happen to be coming up on an obstacle in your path, such as a fallen branch or a giant rock, two red lights will flash until you steer out of the way. Are you an off road biker, and don’t want to worry about getting lost? No problem, there’s a built in compass, too. This little guy has your back.
Not stopping there. the application (both Android and iOS compatible) boasts crowd-sourced routes, and allows you to pull up or share paths in your city with others, even down to  providing directions for shortcuts through difficult areas. If there are other Hammerhead users nearby, you can setup the ability for your unit to guide you to them, resulting in fun, impromptu meetups. Built in integration with Strava and MapMyRide means you won’t be starting from scratch when it comes to your favorite routes. The Hammerhead is shock-and-waterproof, equipped with Bluetooth LE, and lasts for over 20 hours on it’s rechargeable battery. It relies on your smartphone’s GPS system, and pre-loads your route information straight to the Hammerhead, which ensures that even if you lose signal, you’re still good to go.
The creators are looking for backing now, through Dragon Innovation, to get this project off the ground. They have 26 days to go, and have only attained around $36,000 of the necessary $145,000. Their early bird special has sold out, but you can still snag a unit, complete with both a handlebar and stem mount, as well as a shiny ‘elite status’ badge in the app, for $75 with free shipping in the US. The unit will retail for $100, and pre-orders are expected to ship in May of 2014. It’s a bit of a wait, but with all that it’s packing, plus the relatively low price, I’d say it’s worth it. Better yet (at least for me) the creators have promised to create a motorcycle specific app and mount if enough interest is expressed. So, planning to pre-order? As anxious about the wait as I am? Waiting to hear if motorcycles will be supported? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.
Sources: Hammerhead Navigation
