Backercrew
Nov 5, 2024
663 Views

nulumo commuter01 urban riding and cycling jacket with light

Written by

For people, who want to be highly visible on their bike or scooter commuting. Or walking. With active light. For cyclist safety.
Check on Kickstarter

nulumo commuter01

Be visible from 360° with the world’s first active illuminated jacket using our electroluminescent technology

We are XTRA Dynamics from Germany and we care about your visibility! This is why we want to present our luminous jacket nulumo commuter01 to you. It uses a technology we at XTRA Dynamics have developed and mastered during the last years and feel that now is the time to present it to you!

nulumo commuter01 combines safety & fashion

Now, we just want to get it into your hands to improve commuter safety all over the world!

Commuters are often very difficult to see, especially in poor lighting conditions (e.g. at dusk, at night, in rain or in fog). Conventional clothing is not visible, and safety clothing only reflects in direct oncoming light. Wearing reflective clothing means: If no light is pointed at you directly, you are not visible! This makes it difficult for other road users to recognize commuters on bicycles, scooters or on foot.

nulumo commuter01 safety in traffic
nulumo commuter01 visibility for cyclists

The actively illuminated jacket nulumo commuter01 is equipped with the luminous X-TENSE film, a powered lamp, which is characterized by its elasticity, washability and outstanding luminosity.

The cut and functions of the jacket are specially developed for the needs of cyclists, but the nulumo commuter01 is also the first choice for pedestrians and scooter riders if you want to be seen in road traffic.

nulumo commuter01 also for walkers

Other important functions such as being

  • waterproof
  • windproof
  • breathable

round off the nulumo commuter01 jacket.

Luminous

360 ° visibility using active light

Safety through active illumination, at the same time rainproof and breathable. This is nulumo commuter01. ​​The world’s first cycling and commuter jacket with X-TENSE paperthin electroluminescence technology.

Did you know cyclists, bikers and riders are hardest to see when viewed from the side? Usually, you only have reflectors on the side of your bike, possibly nothing on your scooter, while you have lights at the front and at the back of your vehicle and possibly your helmet. And what’s the problem with reflectors? Guessed correctly? They are only visible when illuminated.

That’s exactly why we designed and developed the nulumo commuter01 jacket: the first jacket with active light that ensures that you are visible from 360°. For this purpose, we have chosen a design that ensures that there is never a gap in visibility. No matter how you turn, whether from the back, front or side: at least one side of the illuminated nulumo commuter01 jacket is always visible at the line of sight of other road users such as car drivers.

nulumo commuter01 Feature "luminous"

But nulumo is even more: you can dim or flash the light! What is that good for? In an urban environment you are surrounded by light sources. There are traffic lights, illuminated buildings, bright shining advertising signs everywhere. To be visible in such an environment, a flashing light has a clear advantage over a permanent light as it stands out from the mass of other light sources. Flashing also reduces power consumption, which means that your nulumo jacket can actively protect you through visibility for up to 16 hours (or even more – depending on the size of your USB power bank).

nulumo commuter01 Feature "flashing"
nulumo commuter01 Feature "adjustable brightess"

Is it possible to dim the light and still be visible? Yes, absolutely! If you are traveling outside the city, half the brightness is enough to still be clearly visible. Because outside the city the light only competes with the glow of the moon 😉

nulumo commuter01 Feature "non-blinding"

nulumo offers another advantage when it comes to visibility: The non-directional light of our technology is does not blind the observer and is therefore and added safety feature. Just imagine not staring directly into highbeams.

nulumo commuter01 advantages:

  • no lightbulbs or LEDs (the entire stretchable paperthin foil is the lamp)
  • stretchable (the integrated X-TENSE-Foil is stretchable up to 20 %)
  • shockproof (cannot break or be damaged by impact you can even crumple the lamp)
  • washable (wash your jacket at 30° Celsius / 86° Fahrenheit, but only use detergent for functional clothing)
  • active illumination up to 8 hours (depends on the size of your USB power bank)
  • flashing illumination up to 16 hours (again depends on the size of your USB power bank)
  • visible in rain and fog (the light is undirected and non-blinding)
  • easy to use with the integrated removable electronics (no mobile app required. Buttons are far better whilst wearing gloves)
  • safety through visibility (with active illumination)

Comfort & Benefits

Safety, fashion and comfort combined

The nulumo commuter01 jacket not only increases your safety in traffic. It also has a very simple and modern design.The jacket is extremely comfortable to wear. We offer different cuts, optimized for women and men. Below you will find some examples of the high-quality comfort- and functional features.

nulumo commuter01 details "adjustable hood"
  • Hood (storable, adjustable, helmet fits underneath)
  • Zippers (reflective and waterproof)
  • reflective logo print on the back (also visible with a backpack)
  • Collar (protects from wind up to the chin)
  • Cuffs (with thumb hole)
  • two pockets outside (waterproof and with reflective zippers)
  • one inside pocket on the right (additional storage space for wallet or cell phone)
  • invisible technology inside (controller and power bank in left inside pockets)
  • adjustable drawstrings (for hips, neck and hood)
  • longer back protetcts you from wind and rain
nulumo commuter01 details "closeupg"

Material

A luminous jacket that ticks all the boxes of commuters and cyclists

We will not save on the materials used, nor on the technology powering the jacket. Actually, we don’t save on anything because we want to build a great product for you. We researched the cycling clothing market and selected the best brands. nulumo commuter01 is the result – and we are proud of it!

nulumo commuter01 Feature "rotating 360 degrees"
  • made for cyclists and commuters with protection from wind and rain
  • 3-layer material with waterproof polyurethane membrane
  • piped pockets with reflective zips
  • waterproofed zippers
  • Cuffs: 92% polyester, 8% elastane
  • Shell fabric: 100% polyester
  • sealed: all seams are tape-sealed
nulumo commuter01 Feature "waterproof"
nulumo commuter01 Feature "windproof"
nulumo commuter01 Feature "breathable"

Do you want to go more technical? Here we go!

  • Water resistance: Water column 10,000 mm (water proof according to ISO 811:2018 Hydrostatic pressure test)
  • Breathability: 6,570 g/m2/24hWVP Water Vapor Permeance (air permeability ATSM E96/E96M)
  • Water-repellent: 80 (ISO 3) after 4 hours of wetting (water rep. ISO 4920-2012)
  • Windproof thanks to a close-meshed fabric and 3-layer + taped seams

Would you also like to wear the jacket in winter?

That’s no problem! Sure: the commuter01 is not built for cold winter days. But you can easily wear a lined mid-layer under the nulumo commuter01 jacket. Choose the jacket one size larger and you will also have room for an additional base layer (if you get cold particularly quickly).

More visibility features

Active visibility? Check. Waterproof and windproof? Check. Breathable? Check. Comfortable and stylish? Check. 
You want even more? OK!

Active illumination and additional reflective elements: Just because our commuter01 jacket actively glows doesn’t mean we aren’t fans of reflective functional clothing. We are. But reflective material always needs to be illuminated to be visible. Without light there is no reflection. That’s why we equipped our jacket with active light. But it also incorporates reflective elements. All zippers on our commuter01 reflect. And there is also a large reflective logo print on the back of the jacket in a place that is guaranteed* never to be covered by your backpack. 
*If you are not Hulk and carry a seabag as a backpack.

nulumo commuter01 Feature "reflective print"
nulumo commuter01 Feature "active light"

Non-blinding light is fog-visible light

Sometimes it’s not just dark outside. Sometimes it’s dark and it rains. And then there are days when it is foggy. During the day and at night. Fortunately, the light of the nulumo commuter01 is glare-free. Because it is a non-directional light that shines evenly. This is not only very nice to look at, it is also safe for other road users because they are not blinded. And it is also very visible in fog. Safety through visibility. That is our mission. In every season and in every weather.

nulumo commuter01 Feature "visible in fog"

Technology

How does it work? Let’s try to explain it in simple words 😉

X-TENSE is a highly stretchable and impact-resistant luminous film that can be flexibly integrated into various textile surfaces. As it is stretchable up to 20 %, it is very comfortable to wear.  X-TENSE is produced using a screen printing process.

Screen printed
The nulumo commuter01 uses X-TENSE electroluminescent stretchable films which are produced using a screen-printing process. The TPU film-based technology was invented in Germany by XTRA Dynamics, is very thin (sub 200 microns) and is long-lasting technology with an average lifespan of 20,000 hours. X-TENSE is patent pending. The screen-printing process allows illuminated surfaces to be customised and produced directly with connecting tracks for product integration.

Power consumption
The X-TENSE luminous films used in the nulumo commuter01 jacket are operated using an included controller. With its small design, it easily fits into clothing and can be connected to a power bank via USB-C. Illuminated areas of up to 400 cm² can be operated for up to 8 hours with a 5 V DC, 5000 mAh power bank. You can easily use a bigger power bank for more operating time. Or simply double the operating time using the flashing mode at the click of a button.

Controller
With the controller you can switch your nulumo commuter01 jacket on and off, choose two flashing modes and dim the brightness in three levels. The controller integrated into the jacket only needs to be removed to wash the jacket. As well as the power bank connected to the controller. The operating parameters on the input side: 5 V DC, USB-C connection (for your power bank). By the way: the controller is very compact. Dimensions: 58mm wide, 82mm high, 19mm deep. Weight: 69 grams (for comparison: an iPhone 13 pro weighs 203 grams).

Power Bank
You can use any commercially available power bank to operate your nulumo commuter01 jacket. It just should fit in the inner pocket provided. You simply shouldn’t choose a power bank that is as big as a car battery 😉 A standard power bank with 5,000 or 10,000 mAh is our recommendation. Then the weight of the power bank can hardly be felt in the left inside pocket of your nulumo commuter01. Since shipping lithium-ion batteries around the world unfortunately is quite an effort, there is no power bank included in the rewards for this campaign.

Sizes & Cuts

The nulumo commuter01 jacket is available in two different cuts (for women and for men) and 4 sizes each.

Our tip: It’s better to choose the jacket in the larger version we offer. For example, if you normally wear M, choose M/L and not S/M. And if you want to wear a base layer and a mid layer under the nulumo jacket in winter, then you should definitely choose the larger size.

The desired sizes and cuts will be gathered in a survey after the crowdfunding campaign has been completed.

Size chart women
Size chart MEN

Measurements are preliminary and can be subject to change depending on carrying trials by a selected target audience.

Roadmap

Our journey with X-TENSE, the world’s first stretchable electroluminescent film, began in 2022. A lot has happened since then. And we are proud of the development.

The most important stages:

Long-term plans and future vision

2025 and beyond: Expansion of the product range and expansion After the successful launch of the nulumo commuter01, we plan to further expand our product line – from additional models and colors to new lighting technologies and products for various applications. Our vision is to become a global leader in the development of safe, innovative and fashionable clothing for active people.

Why is our roadmap important to you?

Transparency and trust :We want to give you the security that we know exactly how to achieve our goal and successfully produce and deliver the nulumo commuter01. Our roadmap shows you that we have a clear plan and are taking all the necessary steps to ensure you receive your jacket on time and in the best quality.

Follow our progress in real time

Regular updates and community participation: We’ll keep you updated throughout the journey. You will receive regular updates about our progress and can participate in important milestones – be it by voting on new designs, feedback on prototypes or the opportunity to ask us questions directly.

Our Journey

From idea to innovation: the creation of the nulumo commuter01

What began as a simple question – are we developing the next generation of illuminated films? – quickly became a passionate mission. We are two founders who have been working intensively with electroluminescence for years. The idea for a revolutionary, stretchable and washable electroluminescent film was born in our workshop: X-TENSE. And so the vision was born to create actively luminous clothing that offers a new level of safety.

The development process: from idea to reality

First steps: the development of X-TENSE
Our adventure began with the development of the X-TENSE electroluminescent film. This unique technology combines flexibility, washability and impressive performance – perfect for use in everyday clothing that can really be seen from any angle. We wanted more than just a reflective surface, we wanted something that actively glows and stands out, whatever the light conditions. The fluorescent film can be seamlessly integrated into textiles such as workwear, official clothing or functional clothing. This improves visibility and therefore the wearer’s safety – a real revolution for anyone who is out and about in traffic in the dark or in poor visibility conditions.

The challenge: bringing an idea to market

No sooner had we developed the idea than we faced the next challenge: how do we launch this innovative technology to the market? We realized that we needed support and a strong network. That’s why we joined Campus Founders – an ecosystem of entrepreneurs and innovators who helped us to structure, test and further develop our idea.

Validating an idea: prototypes, trade fairs and first samples and tests
Our first step was to build prototypes and put our idea to the test. How does the target group react? Is there any interest? To find out, we took the samples to the biggest international stage we could find.

The trade fairs:

  • A+A trade fair in Düsseldorf
    At the A+A trade fair in Düsseldorf, the world’s leading event for personal protection and safety, we presented X-Tense together with Würth Modyf for the first time. The feedback was overwhelming: professionals and end users were enthusiastic about the idea of active lighting that revolutionizes visibility.
  • ISPO Munich 
    Our next stop was ISPO Munich, the world’s largest sporting goods trade fair. Here we met a community of outdoor enthusiasts and lovers of urban mobility who gave us valuable feedback and confirmed that our idea is relevant for many customers.
  • CES Las Vegas
    Finally, our partner Würth Elektronik took us to CES in Las Vegas, the world’s largest trade fair for consumer technology. Here, we attracted the interest of global tech communities and potential business partners who saw the potential of our technology for future applications.

Proving an idea: prototypes, trade fairs and first samples and tests

Our goal is to make the roads safer for cyclists and at the same time show that safety doesn’t have to be boring. We want to create a new generation of clothing that is innovative, functional and stylish – and that meets the needs of both commuters and leisure riders. With the nulumo commuter01 we are starting this journey, but it’s just the beginning.

Our story is one of innovation, passion and determination to make life safer. We believe in a future where technology and fashion work together. By supporting us, you are helping us to make this vision a reality. Let’s continue this journey together!

Financing

Our financing goal: Why 250 jackets?

Why we need your support

In order to start production of the nulumo commuter01 and bring the first series of this innovative jacket onto the market, we have set ourselves a clear goal: to sell at least 250 jackets. But why this number? Let’s take a look behind the scenes together to understand how we achieved this goal and why your support is so crucial.

Minimum order quantity (MOQ) for in-house fabric production

The nulumo commuter01 is not just another jacket – it is made of specially developed materials that offer high functionality and unique properties such as flexibility, washability and active luminosity. In order to produce these materials in the required quality and quantity, we require a minimum order quantity (MOQ) when producing fabrics. This means that we need to produce at least 250 jackets in order to make fabric production economical and sustainable.

Costs of the electronic components

In addition to the innovative material, the nulumo commuter01 also contains special electronic components that enable active luminosity. These components, custom-designed for our jacket, also require a minimum order quantity to be cost-effectively produced. Ordering in larger quantities significantly reduces unit costs and makes production feasible in the first place.

The advantage for early supporters

By supporting us, you not only help start production of the nulumo commuter01, but you also secure exclusive benefits: early bird prices, limited editions and the opportunity to be among the first to wear this revolutionary jacket. Your support will directly help make the vision of a safe future for cyclists a reality.

Investing in the future of an innovation

Your support not only helps us to realize this project, but also invests in the further development of innovative technologies in the area of ​​security and mobility. “Together we can make roads safer for cyclists and our cities more livable.

Article Tags:
Article Categories:
All · Design · Featured

Comments are closed.