The new Apeman Seeker cycling camera promises enhanced rider safety with a new all-in-one action cam, virtual rearview mirror, smart taillight/brake light & bike lane markers. There’s even a front-facing version that swaps in a live stat dashboard cam and automatically-adapting headlight. All this packed into a boxy housing you can clamp onto your handlebar or seatpost.
Apeman Seeker all-in-one cycling safety camera
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/667837446/seeker-4k-bike-dashcam-and-safety-lighting-system
All of those smart integrated camera and safety features sound great. The hitch may be that the product isn’t quite real yet, and isn’t as refined as you might hope. The bulky Apeman Seeker all-in-one cycling safety camera is being offered through a Kickstarter campaign now.
The established Chinese discount consumer electronics company already has a handful of low-cost action cams in their online store, plus ten dashcams, so they probably do have the capacity to turn this crowdfunding project into reality. Their first project on Kickstarter seems to be about taking the integration of multiple functions and an interactive smartphone interface to the next level, and gauging consumer interest.
Tech details – Cycling Camera Hardware
The Apeman Seeker lineup can be boiled down to three individual products:
- Seeker One, the 4K /60fps action cameras at the heart of it all
- Seeker R1, the smart taillight housing including the action cam
- Seeker F1, the smart headlight housing including the action cam (available as an add-on)
The Apeman Seeker One camera shoots 4K video & still photos with a 12.3 megapixel sensor, powered by a 4-core 1GHz processor & 6-axis electronic image stabilization. It communicates via WiFi, BLE, has front & rear displays, and runs up to 60 minutes of recording on its own.
The R1 adds a bulky 93x104x40mm housing with GoPro style mounting tabs around the Seeker One camera, adding lights and a bigger battery. The Apeman Seeker R1 includes a red LED taillight around the perimeter of the case, left & right laser lights to mark a virtual bike lane on the ground as you pedal, and a 5000mAh rechargeable battery for a claimed 5-hour max run time.
The F1 (available as an add-on) adds its own bulky 93x108x42mm housing with proprietary ball mount around the Seeker One camera, plus light & battery. The Apeman Seeker F1 adds an adaptive 80/150 lumen headlight and 5000mAh battery, also with claimed 5-hour max run time.
R1 Cycling Camera Safety Features
Paired with your smartphone & the Go APE app, the Apeman Seeker R1 offers a live rearview camera with 2.7K/60fps looped incident recording, and a virtual 150° field of view rearview mirror you can see on your phone as you ride. You can even set it up as a live dashboard with stats like speed, altitude, direction & more.
The integrated smart taillight /brake light automatically shifts from solid to flashing red to signal to those behind you when you start to slow down. And the lasers project out a virtual bike lane to remind other road users to pass safely.
Kickstarter contribution levels & Seeker R1 availability
The Apeman Seeker crowdfunding campaign has already more than doubled its funding target, with just over a week remaining. There are still a few Seeker R1 Early Bird slots remaining for $299 which should be 25% of the final retail price – including the Seeker One camera, the R1 light housing, 2 batteries for the camera itself, and a large grab bag of bike & helmet mounts.
Once those remaining pledges sell out, Kickstarter special pricing increases to $319 (plus customs & taxes, and possibly shipping charges, too.)
Estimated delivery is currently set for June 2022, after Apeman says they will start serial production this April. As with any unproven Kickstarter, good luck.
