Project Aura
Co-Founder | 2012 – 2013
A startup solving how cyclists are seen and understood on the road — shifting lighting from just visibility to communication.
Key Features
01 - Solving Side Visibility
Traditional lights neglect side visibility, a major source of intersection accidents. Our rim lights addressed this while celebrating the bicycle’s form.
02 - Creating a Lighting Language
Our color/state system leveraged familiar automotive cues to signal cyclist behavior clearly.
03 - Recognition & Impact
Project Aura received a Core77 Transportation Design Award, a Pittsburgh accelerator grant, and a U.S. patent.
01
Solving side visibility
Many existing lights focus on illuminating the front and rear of a cyclist. Few lights illuminate the side, a common contributor to accidents particularly at four-way intersections.
My co-founder, Ethan Frier, and I created Project Aura, a set of lights that mount to the wheels to both make the side of the cyclist visible and highlight the intrinsic motion and iconic form of a bicycle.
02
Creating a lighting language
Cars have an existing lighting language. Why not bikes? Wheel lights not only illuminated the bicycle’s form, but also conveyed intention: the LEDs would turn red when slowing down and white when at a constant velocity. This helped drivers and pedestrians better understand the cyclist’s actions, especially when approaching intersections.
Wheel lights dramatically improved side visibility, addressing one of the most common accidents
RGB LEDs were placed around the rim and integrated to be as visually unobtrusive as possible
Light pipes increased the surface area of the side illumination
03
Recognition and Impact
Project Aura garnered national recognition for its innovative approach to cyclist safety, receiving a Behance award, Core77 Transportation Design Award, Pittsburgh $25,000 accelerator grant, and US Patent (US11531343B1).
Copyright 2025 • Jonathan Ota
Project Aura
Co-Founder | 2012 – 2013
A startup solving how cyclists are seen and understood on the road — shifting lighting from just visibility to communication.
Key Features
01 - Solving Side Visibility
Traditional lights neglect side visibility, a major source of intersection accidents. Our rim lights addressed this while celebrating the bicycle’s form.
02 - Creating a Lighting Language
Our color/state system leveraged familiar automotive cues to signal cyclist behavior clearly.
03 - Recognition & Impact
Project Aura received a Core77 Transportation Design Award, a Pittsburgh accelerator grant, and a U.S. patent.
01
Solving side visibility
Many existing lights focus on illuminating the front and rear of a cyclist. Few lights illuminate the side, a common contributor to accidents particularly at four-way intersections.
My co-founder, Ethan Frier, and I created Project Aura, a set of lights that mount to the wheels to both make the side of the cyclist visible and highlight the intrinsic motion and iconic form of a bicycle.
02
Creating a lighting language
Cars have an existing lighting language. Why not bikes? Wheel lights not only illuminated the bicycle’s form, but also conveyed intention: the LEDs would turn red when slowing down and white when at a constant velocity. This helped drivers and pedestrians better understand the cyclist’s actions, especially when approaching intersections.
Wheel lights dramatically improved side visibility, addressing one of the most common accidents
RGB LEDs were placed around the rim and integrated to be as visually unobtrusive as possible
Light pipes increased the surface area of the side illumination
03
Recognition and Impact
Project Aura garnered national recognition for its innovative approach to cyclist safety, receiving a Behance award, Core77 Transportation Design Award, Pittsburgh $25,000 accelerator grant, and US Patent (US11531343B1).
Copyright 2025 • Jonathan Ota
Project Aura
Co-Founder | 2012 – 2013
A startup solving how cyclists are seen and understood on the road — shifting lighting from just visibility to communication.
Key Features
01 - Solving Side Visibility
Traditional lights neglect side visibility, a major source of intersection accidents. Our rim lights addressed this while celebrating the bicycle’s form.
02 - Creating a Lighting Language
Our color/state system leveraged familiar automotive cues to signal cyclist behavior clearly.
03 - Recognition & Impact
Project Aura received a Core77 Transportation Design Award, a Pittsburgh accelerator grant, and a U.S. patent.
01
Solving side visibility
Many existing lights focus on illuminating the front and rear of a cyclist. Few lights illuminate the side, a common contributor to accidents particularly at four-way intersections.
My co-founder, Ethan Frier, and I created Project Aura, a set of lights that mount to the wheels to both make the side of the cyclist visible and highlight the intrinsic motion and iconic form of a bicycle.
02
Creating a lighting language
Cars have an existing lighting language. Why not bikes? Wheel lights not only illuminated the bicycle’s form, but also conveyed intention: the LEDs would turn red when slowing down and white when at a constant velocity. This helped drivers and pedestrians better understand the cyclist’s actions, especially when approaching intersections.
Wheel lights dramatically improved side visibility, addressing one of the most common accidents
RGB LEDs were placed around the rim and integrated to be as visually unobtrusive as possible
Light pipes increased the surface area of the side illumination
03
Recognition and Impact
Project Aura garnered national recognition for its innovative approach to cyclist safety, receiving a Behance award, Core77 Transportation Design Award, Pittsburgh $25,000 accelerator grant, and US Patent (US11531343B1).
Copyright 2025 • Jonathan Ota