SAN FRANCISCO - Sept. 13, 2013 - Brand new Bay-area startup, Zackees Wearables Electronics, debuted their first consumer product at TechCrunch Disrupt this Wednesday.
Dubbed the Zackees Turn Signal Gloves, these cycling gloves feature a super-bright, high efficiency, LED arrow that allows riders to alert other drivers to their intentions. By utilizing a button-less switch (an action the requires two contact points in between the thumb and index finger to touch) cyclists can signal vehicles in front or behind with increased visibility.
“With over 63% of Americans now using bikes in the 70 largest U.S. cities*, we saw a great opportunity to innovate in this space,” say Zackees Founder and CEO Zachary Vorhies. “It’s slightly unfair that cars have the added security of a turn-signal and not cyclists. Our gloves remedy this problem.”
Additional features of the Turn Signal Gloves include:
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Durable, water-proof design
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2-month battery life with regular use. Operated by a standard coin-cell battery.
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Ambient light-sensor that controls illumination to preserve battery power.
A video demonstration of the gloves can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgt1O2TaU_Q
Zackees had several working prototypes on hand at Disrupt which were a huge hit with attendees. “The response was overwhelming,” says Vorhies. “We knew we had a cool product, however, it’s nice to get a confirmation from the public.” Even technology evangelist Robert Scoble seemed impressed during a visit to the company’s booth.
Currently, plans are underway to start a crowdfunding campaign this Fall / Early Winter. Interested parties can sign up for more details at the company’s official site (zackees.com). Pricing information is not available at this time. Vorhies states that the product will be priced “very aggressively.”
About Zackees
Zackees is the brainchild of Zachary Vorhies, whose growing interest in the electronic-fashion scene lead him to leave a position at Google Earth to start Zackees. Together with co-founder and engineer, Murat Ozkan, he’s set out to create products that fuse utility with fashion.