Ideal for bike riding on windy days. Output is wirelessly transmitted to a wristwatch and/or cycle computer.
-- Texticle, Jul 31 2007

Savonius turbine http://en.wikipedia...vonius_wind_turbine
[normzone, Jul 31 2007]

Anemometer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemometer
[jutta, Jul 31 2007]

Storm chasers would be another likely market
-- batou, Jul 31 2007


What's the point of mounting the anemometer on the rider, rather than anywhere else on the bicycle?
-- jutta, Jul 31 2007


Because then it could be used for running, walking, skydiving or even just standing around carefully noting meteorological data.
-- Texticle, Aug 01 2007


[+] sheer apical meteorologeek effect
-- lurch, Aug 01 2007


(While waiting for the bus)"Funny weather we're having today"

"Indeed it is. A South-westerly breeze of 4-5 knots for most of the morning, changing to North-westerly in the afternoon and rising as high as 18 knots"

"Do you work in IT by any chance?"
-- marklar, Aug 01 2007


Except you can't get directional information out of a Savonius
-- BunsenHoneydew, Aug 06 2007


Sure you can. Make it very slightly asymmetrical (like putting a flat tab on one side). Then watch the changes in rotor speed - when the tab is moving downwind, it turns faster, upwind slower. Since wind direction is commonly only reported to sixteen points of the compass, a low-resolution shaft encoder would be sufficient.
-- lurch, Aug 06 2007


needs a better title, but a little nerd arrow points you toward the slowly spinning bun i'm giving you. +
-- k_sra, Aug 06 2007


Add a small generator and you can power a pair of nose hair trimmers.
-- Road Show, Aug 06 2007


Reminds me of a movie I saw years ago. Sean Connery is sailing on the open sea at considerable speed. His companion, probably a jaunty young lady in 60s-style bikini and boufant, inquires about the wind direction. Sean licks a finger and places it in the air. He then points in a direction not entirely dissimilar to the direction in which he is travelling and says, "From over there."
-- theleopard, Aug 06 2007


Why not go the whole hog and use a helmet mounted laser anemometer?
-- wagster, Aug 06 2007


Because, in the words of the man himself, we must add lightness and simplicate.
-- Texticle, Aug 08 2007



random, halfbakery