Crowdfunding Monday – the SEEKER R1 Cycling Camera

February 14, 2022April 9, 2023 florian 0 Comments camera, crowdfunding, Kickstarter, lights, safety

The Seeker R1 Cycling Camera from Apeman, now on Kickstarter, is more than a camera: it promises to be an all-in-one cycling safety solution. It has a modular 4K action camera, a smart brake light and tail light system, laser bike lanes and offers a live rearview via your smartphone. The Seeker R1 basically packs Apeman’s existing Seeker One camera into a housing, that increase battery from 1200 mAh to 5000 mAh, and adds a taillight and laser tracks.

Apeman is a Chinese brand selling lower priced action cams, so they are not new to the camera business. This is the first time however, that they package a camera specifically for cycling and launch on Kickstarter. Given their background, you should be able to expect them to deliver on their product (estimated shipping is June 2022), however as with all things Kickstarter, there is no guarantee the product will be delivered, and with current supply chain delays the shipping date could easily slip.
The camera is obviously the main feature, so here are the available facts:

Recording: 4K at 60 fps (1080p at 180 fps)
Max Bitrate: 100 Mbps
Field of vision: 150 deg
Aperture: f/2.8 (iso 100-6400)
MSD card support: microSD U3 V30 or above, max 512 Gb
Image stablization: 6-axis electronic.
Communication: BLE and Wifi
Run time: 5hrs at 2.7K/ 60fps
collision detection system will create a separate “collision” footage as video evidence.

The housing is a bulky 93x104x40mm, and besides increasing the battery capacity, also adds the taillight and laser lines.

There is no information about the brightness of the tailight, but Apeman built in a “smart” function, meaning its built-in-sensor detects when you’re slowing down and the light begins flashing, and it also detects ambient light and automatically turns on in dark areas, or at sundown.

Something unique (but I question how useful, in practise) is their “digital dashboard”, meaning that your smartphone when using their app and paired with the camera can act as a rearview mirror and dash cam.

Summary:

Is the Seeker R1 bulky? Yes, but you get the extra battery life, something that is an advantage over other action cameras, and the package includes taillight and laser projections.
The quality of the recording might be ok during daytime, but without testing or video proof, I would not assume that license plates at dawn and dusk can easily be recognised at dawn or dusk .
In terms of image quality, a GoPro will still be better, however with significant shorter battery life and no incident specific recording function.
Realistically, the Seeker R1 competes with the Fly6 from Cycliq, which is in its 3rd iteration now and has similar good battery life, a rear light and incident detection. The Fly 6 is USD 70 cheaper at USD 229 and includes a 32GB memory card. Whether the additional cost for the Seeker R1 is worth it for you, depends on whether you like the laser lines and the dash cam function. You also get more accessories with the Seeker R1, so you might want to look at that as well when deciding.
A front light/camera combination is also available, it’s the same camera with a different housing. Head over to their kickstarter campaign to find out more.

Product	SEEKER R1
Price	USD 299 (USD 399 after campaign)
Campaign End	Feb 17, 2022
Campaign Platform	Kickstarter
Brand	Apeman
International Shipping available	Yes
Company Location	China
Manufacturing Country	China
Sustainability Info	n/a
Product / Company link	https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/667837446/seeker-4k-bike-dashcam-and-safety-lighting-system