FLOCK LIGHT PRODUCT UPDATE #18 - 6th April 2024

PRODUCT UPDATE - (TL;DR)

1. JUST 4 WEEKS UNTIL WE START DISPATCH! The official launch date is the 8th of May, but we aim to start dispatching to KS Backers earlier.
2. ALL INJECTION MOULDED PARTS HAVE ARRIVED
3. MOUNTING ACCESSORIES ARE LIVE - Mounting Accessories are LIVE and now ready for pre-order! Check them out via our product page HERE.
4. ALL OTHER PARTS ARE IN PRODUCTION - Electronic Assemblies, 3D Printed parts and Packaging are all in production.
5. WE ARE UPDATING OUR FIRMWARE - Learn more about the firmware features we've been working on.

 

Hey Flockers!

We're getting oh so close now. It's a flurry of activity back here at Project Flock HQ. Exciting and nerve-wracking times, for you and us! Without further ado, let’s dive in…

1. JUST 4 WEEKS UNTIL WE START DISPATCH!

With product dispatch just around the corner, all the production wheels are now well and truly in motion. Once all the parts have been produced and received, we'll assemble the Flock Lights right here in Melbourne, Australia. 

We are currently looking at a May 8th product launch date, however, we aim to start dispatching products to Kickstarter Backers a week before if possible. So you better start getting those legs warmed up Flockers!

2. ALL INJECTION MOULDED PARTS HAVE ARRIVED

Timmo was giddy with excitement this week as he opened up our first big shipment of Flock Light Parts. 2000 units worth of injection moulded and silicone parts arrived this week, primed and ready for assembly. It’s quite a surreal experience, seeing all these parts arrive for a product that has mostly lived in our heads, in CAD and in the form of prototypes for so long! A big moment for both of us...

3. MOUNTING ACCESSORIES ARE NOW LIVE

We’re excited to announce that our Flock Light Mounting Accessories are live and available for pre-order on our website. They will be available for dispatch at the same time as the Flock Lights.

Throughout all of our Alpha and Beta Testing, one of the things we learnt was that each rider is so, so different. We wanted to make sure that despite the type of bike you ride, the number of bikes you have, and how you like to set up your bike, you would still be able to use your Flock Light in as many ways as possible. Thanks to your valuable feedback from the Mounting Accessories Survey, we narrowed these down to the top 7 mounting styles that best suited you, our users. To check them out, go to our Light Mounts Product Page. And for those of you who want to see bag-mounts, we’re still cooking those up…so stay tuned.

Each of these mounts is designed in-house, and 3D printed here in Melbourne by Formero, using the same MJF 3D printing technique used on our Flock Lights. They’re super durable, and look pretty slick too - we think you’ll like them!

If you’re interested in adding some mounts (or even some extra Flock Lights) to your current order, go HERE to edit your order. You can edit your order as many times as you like before we dispatch!

 

4. ALL OTHER PARTS ARE IN PRODUCTION

All the wheels are in motion… all the balls are in the air… everything is cooking nicely… [insert your favourite idiom here]... in other words, it’s all happening!

A) Electronics have started production, and as mentioned, they’ll be arriving in Australia as a complete electronic assembly later this month, ready for final assembly. This is the beating heart of the Flock Light and one of the more complex parts of the product, and we couldn’t be more excited to see this underway.

B) Formero have now started production on the 3D-printed parts of the Flock Light and the additional mounting accessories.

C) Packaging production is also underway. Earlier this week we received some of our first off-tool packaging samples...

5. WE HAVE UPDATED FIRMWARE

Over the last couple of years, we've been able to battle-test the basic firmware features of the Flock Light pretty well, and getting the basics right was always a priority for us. So in the leadup to assembly, we are now developing and refining some of the smarter Flock Light functionality that will help you maximise and better manage the lifetime of your battery. You may recall some of these features from our Kickstarter Campaign. Here's a progress update on each of these:

1. AUTO ECO MODE - This feature automatically switches your Flock Light to Eco Mode when it reaches a critical battery level. This insures you get home safely without getting caught with a flat battery. We are still refining this feature to ensure it switches over at the right time (and not say, 1 hour into your ride), so we'll keep you updated on the progress of this!
2. AUTO BATTERY INDICATOR - This feature we had advertised in our Kickstarter Campaign, and unfortunately, it's something we haven't been able to get working without unwanted battery consumption. To give you some context, the feature was triggered by an accelerometer or movement. We discovered that in transit (say a car trip to a cycling event) the battery indicator stayed on due to the constant movement. This resulted in unwanted battery consumption... not a great outcome when your goal is to conserve battery power! So what we decided to do was replace this with another feature. It's one we think you might find more useful...
3. AUTO SLEEP/WAKE MODE - When your Flock Light has been idle for more than 3 minutes, it will automatically go to sleep. And when you jump back on your bike, it will wake up again. So if you accidentally leave it on at the cafe, don’t worry - it will take care of itself! Turning the light off at the button will disengage the auto sleep/wake function, and turning the light on will re-engage it again.

While the current Beta Prototypes don’t have these features, the final Flock Lights will, so we'll be excited to hear what you think!

That’s it for now Flockers. We’ll aim to send through another update between now and dispatch.

Until next time, stay safe and stay human.

Tim & Marie