Warm spring days and even warmer summer days. It’s this time of the year when you find yourself spending most of your time outside. Then, of course, your signature look probably involves a Frisbee in your hand. Whether it’s a festival, park or a beach, Frisbee is a mandatory past time while you hang out with friends. But then those hot summer days turn into evenings and night and your Frisbee turns into an invisible Unidentified Flying Object, which may not have the best intentions when it strikes your face. Luminous Frisbee’s give the promise of letting you throw the disc in the dark while you remain unharmed. Like it or not, your dentist is probably uncontrollably excited when the disc goes dark and you’ve got no way to light it up again. Enter Active LED flying disc!
A lighted disc is all you need.
I can’t recall how many times my face brushed with incoming doom, when the Frisbee sneaked past me in the darkness. Or how many times at the tournament party we were throwing the disc and catching it blindly giggling like mad. The next day we were thanking madly and gladly whatever force kept the trajectory of the Frisbee away from our faces… And teeth. As an adrenaline junkie, I’m all in for such thrills – not necessary the emergency dentist. A sparkly flying object can certainly make a difference!
As in every story there is a superhero to save the day. Or in this case the night. Meet miBee. An innovation on the disc market. Frisbee in the dark is a Final Destination kind of situation. Now you see it then you don’t. Then you’re clutching your face and hoping all is right. In case of miBee you can at least say “I saw it coming”. You could even name a color, because it would be brighter then a star. The idea has quite a few advantages and some of them are exciting. It’s not just a flashy disc that you get, but an innovative and well-thought through gadget. It’s the Iron Man among the Frisbee’s with the tech behind it.
The spark behind the great idea.
Behind every idea is a spark of inspiration. In this case, it was literally a spark in the night. Add students, Frisbee enthusiasts and a passion for constructing things and great things happen. So, to enrich this story of how an active LED flying disc came to be, I’ve asked its creator where did the idea come from.
The idea was born during studies at the Warsaw University of Technology. Along with a group of friends we were starting our Frisbee adventure. In the evenings we were hanging out at Mokotów Field, drinking beer and throwing the disc after it got dark. It was then that the need for some kind of illumination became a necessity. What was available on the market didn’t meet our needs.
For our first prototype we’ve used a classic Frisbee that we bought at the store. We designed additional elements from a 3D print and pasted it over with LED’s.
Later, as an additional variety, we’ve came up with the idea of a gyroscope, creating the lightning modes or even an original game mode. The disc even served as a promotional element of our student research group and one of its projects. It raised a lot of interest, which is why we’ve decided to share it with others and design it all over again to keep the parameters of a professional Ultimate disc (dimensions, weight, trajectory).
Mateusz Jakóbik, miBee creator.
Talking from experience about those flying discs, fluorescence and LED lights…
There are quite a few ways to make the Frisbee sparkle. You could get the glowing disc, but it’s biggest disadvantage is that it’s glow is fading fast. My friend got one for himself and it turned into a disaster, because he wanted to run an experiment. He wanted to expose it more to the light and that fired right back at him. He left it on the lamp for a little while and came back to a burned through disc. The Frisbee was ruined and never to be used again. I guess it’s a “don’t try it at home” kind of situation.
On the other hand, Mateusz told me a story of how people figured out their light situation. He was visiting Sopot, the seaside town in the north of Poland. At the beach some people were throwing the discs. To shed some light on the situation that they were in, they used their smartphone flashlights. Creativity will always find a way!
There are also some LED options powered by batteries with 185 grams of happiness. The central location of the energy magic box is said to stabilize the flight. The problem with these is often the on/off button which gets worn off fast. Another one is the need to switch the battery. In some models you have to take apart the disc. The batteries are just one of the reasons why miBee came to life.
Ligh it up! The first Active LED flying disc.
miBee is pretty much the first Frisbee on planet earth with built-in electronics and active LED lighting. The disc can be used both during the day and night, but it’s the later that brings out all that’s the best in it.
The disc works thanks to electronics and a gyroscope. It’s intelligent electronic system is steering the lights according to the disc movements. There are up to 5 lighting modes and they are fully dependent on the rotation. The light is changeable and reacts to the players movements.
The key to making miBee worthwhile was to also make sure that it stayed close to the roots of professional Ultimate discs. It’s diameter is 27 cm and it weights 200 grams. Moreover, the flight parameters were kept in check to satisfy those players, who pay attention to details.
Right now, miBee is a Kickstarter project, but it’s a promise that can light up your game!
5 characteristics that make miBee, the active LED flying disc, different.
Perhaps your first thought is that you’ve seen it all before and tested quite a few glowing discs. At the first glimpse, miBee might look like just another one of those glowing gadgets. They say that you shouldn’t judge the book by its cover. This active LED flying disc has more to offer, but you have to dig deeper. The devil’s in the details and miBee has quite a few attributes that out it right in the spotlight.
1. 5 active lighting modes
miBee lighted flying disc offers 5 active light modes. Each of them is based on a gyroscope, which makes the magic possible to happen.
The secret of this active LED flying disc is hidden in the sequence of dedicated movements and rotation of the disc. If you’re up for a challenge you can create your own lightning style.
The lightning modes are:
- colorwave,
- spectrum,
- nunchaku,
- prism,
- rainbow.
With this vast selection you can create your own unique experience.
2. A rechargeable boost for your active LED lights flying disc.
miBee light up disc has a constant energy flow. It’s supported by the long-lasting 320mAh battery. It’s a promise of up to 2 hours of uninterrupted fun.
Moreover, you don’t have to worry it will go dark mid flight. When the battery is low, the LED lights on the back of the disc will show you its status. The best part? You can recharge it via USB.
Batteries not included. Forget them!
3. Better safe then sorry!
Remember those reflective gadgets that you’re supposed to carry after dark? With miBee you can come home safe.
miBee can be used as a beacon. The disc is equipped with a special safety mode, which can be activated by clicking the button twice. You can attach the disc to your backpack and be on your way. It especially sounds like a perfect solution for those who prefer cycling to public transport or want to feel safer by being fully visible.
4. Do you want to play a LED Frisbee game?
There is never enough game variants when it comes to Ultimate. For example, it’s great to play hot box as a warm up at your training. We often do that at our training. Then it turns out we forget to count the points. miBee could be an answer to that small issue and make hot box even funnier.
The disc has an original game mode. It was created with team games in mind. All you need to do is gather two teams and play. Battle mode divides the group into Red and Blue teams. The goal is to make as many passes as possible while the other team is trying to break the streak.
During the pass the LEDs on the disc are filling up with lights. Thanks to the intelligent electronics, the disc counts points automatically as it flies from one person to another. Your team has to make a certain amount of passes to fill up the disc with LEDs. The disc will start flashing when the team scores a point.
The other team has to take over the disc. If that happens the player has to shake the disc 3 times. Then they have to start filling up the LEDs with passes.
5. Waterproof active LED flying disc? Hell yes.
With miBee you don’t have to worry about dirt or the dew. The disc is fully protected and waterproof.
Even if you end up playing on the beach and it’s sticky with the sand! We all know how the sand likes to forever attach itself to anyone and anything. In this case, all you need to do is rinse it with water.
You don’t even have to worry about all the electric parts. Even the USB post is 100% waterproof.
One disc and so many features. I can’t explain how excited I am about this project. Even though these additional grams make a difference, it looks like there is so much more features that this product can offer. Since words can barely explain everything, it’s better if you watch this short video with modes presentation. It looks just like an ordinary disc, but you shouldn’t judge the book by its cover, right? This Frisbee is here to amaze you.
Where to get your miBee flying disc?
miBee is a project taking its first, bold step on Kickstarter (launching as you read this post!). It’s a website for crowdfunding and bringing creative ideas to life. The collected funds are meant for production and project enhancements. To buy your miBee all you need to do is check out the Kickstarter and place your order. By backing up this project you’re involved in bringing an innovative Frisbee to life.
If you’re a gamer…
Another exciting thing for gamers! Do you recall CD Projekt, who are behind games such The Witcher or Cyberpunk2077? The collaboration between miBee and CD Projekt brought to life a limited edition of the disc. You can have your own miBee signed with Tyger Claws (one of the clans from Cyberpunk2077)! If you’re a fan, you can check it out at CD Projekt Gear Store.
Make sure to follow miBee on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date. The crowdfunding campaign is launching. If you find this Frisbee as intriguing and would like to get your own, make sure to visit the Kickstarter.
I hope that you enjoyed this post. Let me know what you think about miBee. Show some love and share the post with others. Perhaps the Frisbee will make it to your gift ideas list for Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions? 🙂
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