With the increase of bike/car interactions, the need for a new look at enhanced bicycle visibility is more critical than ever before. These interactions will continue to increase as more cyclists and automobiles take to the roadways with are ever growing population.

Bicycle lighting, in effect, has two main purposes: "Seeing" and "Being Seen". These two terms are used very commonly within the industry to describe various models of cycle lights, and their primary purposes. The most commonly used form is being-seen lighting, which is roughly as powerful as a small flashlight in intensity, and is legally required for nighttime riding. Its primary function is to enable motorists and others to readily see the cyclist in the dark.

The second form of lighting is primarily used to see with. These devices provide high-powered lighting, which can be as bright as an automobiles headlight. To-see-with lighting systems greatly increase the visibility of a cyclist by providing a bright, forward-facing cone of light upon a bike's path.

Currently, there is no one best solution for any rider, and many riders mix and match different technologies to provide the balance that works for them. Other lighting products are insufficient in alerting an automobile driver of the cyclist's presence from every angle, as well as not being adaptable to the ever-changing, diverse lighting conditions that cyclists regularly face. For example, many safety lighting products incorporate either flashing LED lights, reflector/light combos, and other reflector-based spin-offs as their primary method of cycle identification. Typically, these items don't address the limitations of reflected light, and too often create the cycloid effect. Many of such products are created more as novelty items, rather than true safety accessories; that meet the needs of serious cyclists and commuters.

Lunasee is the first total-bicycle lighting system that addresses the limitations of stand-alone products, while combining many of the advantages of the being-seen and seeing-with lighting technologies.

Limited Range of Reflectivity

Range of reflective materials refers to the cone of light cast back towards the viewer by traditional reflective materials. Reflective materials only reflect light within a limited range of incidence. Any light that falls outside of the angles of this range will go through the reflector and not bounce back as a visible reflection. This flawed characteristic of reflectors is also compounded when reflectors are not properly aimed and aligned. With this in mind, a cyclist could be in front of an automobile, but not visible to the driver due to improperly positioned reflectors, in conjunction with the angle of incidence. The effective range of reflectors can be increased horizontally by designing a wider angle of incidence, but this in turn reduces brightness. In addition, weather conditions, such as: snow, fog, or even rain negatively affect light beams, and further dilute the effective visibility of reflected light. In other words, if used correctly, reflectors are a critical staple of nighttime visibility for cyclists, but inadequate for maximum safety if used alone.

Optical Blending

Optical blending refers to the phenomenon of sensory overload that is a reality in our visually cluttered environments. During both day and night, the abundance of objects, movement, colors, lights, and lighting conditions all compete for our attention, and any of which can quickly become visual distractions. When optical blending occurs, a motorist does not register a bike within their view, due to these extraneous factors adding up to an environment where the cycle does not take visual precedence. This potentially life-threatening hazard is especially likely to occur at night. In order to maximize safety, it is critical that cyclists strive to increase the distinctiveness of their visibility, not only in terms of brightness, but in identifying themselves as a cyclist amongst the moving traffic.

Cycloid Effect

Cycloid Movement refers to the curve created by a combination of linear forward movement (as in the forward motion of a bicycle), and the rotation of a circle (such as a bike's rolling wheel) that contains an otherwise fixed point of light. This fixed point of light often takes the form of many common safety lighting devices, such as: standardized spoke reflectors, valve stem lights, rim lights, and others. This combination results in the visual skipping or hopping effect in the wheels that is often witnessed by motorists gazing upon a cyclist at night. This illusion can make a bicycle seem to be moving faster than its actual speed, and may also obscure the intended direction of the bike.