This DIY undertaking turned an outdated smartwatch into a bike sat nav

Should you’re not the type of smartphone person to at all times commerce your outdated telephone in in the direction of credit score on a brand new one, you’ve in all probability thought greater than as soon as about what to do together with your outdated handset. Perhaps it will get handed right down to a youthful member of the family, or saved as a backup gadget, however there are additionally a variety of cool DIY tasks you are able to do with outdated {hardware}, like repurposing it as a safety digital camera. What about wearables, although? We simply checked out how one smartwatch person turned an outdated mannequin right into a fancy gearshift for his or her automotive, and right this moment we’ve received one other vehicle-related smartwatch undertaking to share.

Vehicles might characteristic expansive dashboards which can be excellent for big, screen-based techniques like Android Auto, however that state of affairs couldn’t be extra completely different than relating to bikes. You’re usually fortunate in case you have something past only a speedometer and a tach, and including aftermarket screens can contain a variety of awkwardly fastening attachments to crowded handlebars. Over on Reddit’s Galaxy Watch sub, nevertheless, person someones427 reveals off the intelligent method they’ve repurposed a Galaxy Watch 4 so as to add a mini sat nav display screen to their bike.

On the {hardware} facet, we’re actually not taking a look at a lot right here: just a few 3D-printed enclosures so as to add a bit of little bit of safety and stability. To get it to really keep on with the bike, someones427 says they’re utilizing the magnet base of the charger itself, which you’ll see firstly of the video.

Having the charger in there may be essential to maintain the Galaxy Watch’s display screen energetic, to say nothing of creating certain it doesn’t die earlier than the tip of your trip. However even with that bit sorted, there are apparently nonetheless a couple of lingering issues with this construct, like sudden lag making the Watch 4’s map show get out of sync with the related telephone. There are additionally points with auto-rotate inflicting the picture on the display screen to flip round at inopportune occasions.

We’re hopeful that somebody’s in a position to resolve a couple of of these remaining complications (readers have already chimed in with some options of their very own) and get this working actually steady, as a result of it’s a neat thought that appears fairly good on this bike — and we think about would look simply as slick on a variety of others, too. The unobtrusive dimension and spherical form simply really feel excellent for matching the aesthetic of many motorbike instrument clusters.

What else are you able to consider utilizing a smartwatch for, after you’re completed carrying it as a wristwatch? Share your concepts down within the feedback.