LightLane - Concept becomes reality!

Back in January I posted about a concept for a bike lane that's projected from your bike to the street, a novel and excellent idea for how a cyclist can create a safe space in which to ride. That concept is shown in the top image - and lo and behold, it's on its way to becoming a real product! The bottom image is the LightLane functional prototype - and I, for one, am impressed! I'd expressed some doubts in the comments of the original post, involving the brightness of the projection and battery life, but I see that some good choices have been made: the prototype eschews the "bike lane" logo and instead focuses on the two side lines, each of which is projected with its own laser. Also, the low-energy red light has been replaced with high-energy, eye-catching green - and anyone who's seen a green laser knows, they're tough to ignore! However, the battery life remains low - the site claims a 3-hour runtime, which means it's probably only a few trips per charge. But the designers also make the excellent point that the product's performance "is best when lighting conditions are at their worst, improving safety in the most critical situations." Very true - and this continues to be a very worthy endeavor. Bravo!
[via Gizmodo & Pete Kazanjy, thanks Pete!]