Gesture control is offering more ways to manipulate our everyday electronic devices, and while most of us have used it on mobile phones, computers, or even gaming systems, now Haïku is bringing gestures to a connected urban cycling computer. Developed by Asphalt Lab and funded with the help of successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns earlier this year, their new take on an affordable, easy-to-use computer for commuters and other modern city cyclists is about to be officially launched at CES with early spring delivery. Check out how it neatly integrates ride tracking, navigation, and even unobtrusive notifications all controlled by a wave of the hand…
Designed to provide everyday ride tracking and on the bike integration of your electronics, Haiku was always meant to be a less intrusive piece of technology on your handlebars. Trying to use your phone while riding is never easy, or for that matter safe, so the idea was to be able to flip through the data you wanted access to, simply by waving your hand over Haiku.
In the end it is more of a wave of the thumb for most use, as you can position the small computer near you grip where you often won’t even have to take your hand off the bar. The full wave then brings it back to the main home ride metrics screen. At the same time, when you don’t want to be distracted on the ride, it just sits quietly in the background, paired to your smartphone and ready to access your data.
In all essence it actually isn’t a bike computer itself, but a remote control for your phone. Haiku seamlessly pairs via Bluetooth with a your smartphone and Haiku’s app, automatically turning itself on when you clip it to the magnetic mount that stays attached to your handlebar. When you pop it off at the end of the ride, Haiku then automatically syncs your ride data into the cloud.
Haiku tracks your ride with your phone and lets you scroll through typical ride metrics like speed, time & distance. But its bigger functionality is its features like navigation and notifications, the kind of thing you are likely to need when you are riding across town to meet up with friends. To navigate, you use the paired app to set your destination, then lock the phone, pop it in your pocket, and you get turn-by-turn directions on the bar-mounted display. You can still thumb through the other features as you go, including the unobtrusive notifications that pop up with a blue light and can be flipped through or ignored to return to Haiku’s other functionality.
After its successful crowdfunding Haiku will be available to buy direct this spring for 100€. But for now they are still offering a pre-order sale for 85€ that goes through Indiegogo. They’ve had over 900 backers so far, and have an initial production batch of 1500 that is making its way through the middle steps of its manufacturing now, with it all to be ready in March 2017.