CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
10 September 2007
Implementation Investments
U.K. Consultancy's Wireless Lights Designed in SolidWorks Help Cyclists Keep Rolling Safely at Night
Cyclists can navigate streets more safely at night using a new wireless light system designed in SolidWorks® 3D CAD software by U.K. consultancy Gavin Thomson Design Limited. Now cyclists have front and rear lights with wireless turn signals to ensure motorists see them when they're turning or heading straight.
The company was founded in 2005 in Surrey by industrial product designer Gavin Thomson, whose portfolio includes work for clients like British Airways, Ford, Samsung, and Virgin Atlantic. His consultancy helps customers around the world solve design challenges with products developed in SolidWorks. Recently introduced in stores across the country such as Halford's and Regent Red, the Bicygnals products deliver a new level of safety and confidence for those who ride at night.
The product features two sets of lights that easily detach and conveniently clip together in their own carry case. The front unit mounts on the handlebars with wrap-around lighting so motorists on the side can see the lights as well as the orange turn signals. The other unit attaches to the seat post and features red lights with orange turn signals. When the operator clicks the turn signal controls ergonomically positioned on the front unit, both the front and rear turn signals will shine.
"From an engineering perspective, this product is very complex, between the ergonomics, the sleek surfacing, the molding, and the electronics," said Thomson. "Unlike most CAD products on the market, SolidWorks allowed us to be very inventive, very precise, and very fast at the same time. It gave us the confidence that what we were creating was accurate and 'manufacturable.' That's a significant benefit when you're designing for competitive retail markets."
Thomson and his design team rely on SolidWorks for its streamlined design steps, including the parametric features that automate changes throughout a design. The software's ability to handle the variety of different CAD formats the company's partners, suppliers, and customers use ensures everyone clearly understands each design, reducing errors, and speeding time to market.
"Ingenuity requires the will to stretch the imagination, the drive to explore different options, and the confidence to execute the plan," said Simon Booker, SolidWorks marketing manager, Europe. "Gavin Thomson Design is coming up with fresh ideas to design better products that distinguish the company from its peers."
Gavin Thomson Design relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller SolidEngineer for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
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