A better type of safety light - LED projection

Good idea. The riders focus on the track so intently, I'm surprised they ever see flags at all. Never mind lights which are off to the side. If nothing else, they could add this to the lighting regimen.

Good idea.

I think I've got a solution, but not the funding to implement. I tried to assemble a team to self fund develop it, but that died almost immediately. If I could get an entity like the AMA to embrace it, it would be worth the risk. Unfortunately I'm not going too share, because I still think the concept is marketable and adds value.

Perfect solution, even better than radio com'

That Raymond truck 👎🏻

System works well even in daylight.

They could also sound an alarm or horn

Baja Designs: the official emergency lighting supplier of Monster Energy AMA Supercross.

The blue lights work well in an industrial environment.  Ours has brown floors and the blue is easily distinguishable where other colors (amber or red) are not.

This is a really good idea. Honestly, I think that expecting riders to be constantly checking for flags might actually make things more dangerous. This would be very easy for them to see while keeping their eyes where they need to be.

The place I work at just started illuminating the walk ways with over head lights just like that ,currently the walk ways are bright yellow and the center of the intersection has a spinning stop sign. 

I think a light like that shining on the track/jump faces is a great idea. But that's only a small part of the solution...

They'll need A LOT of those lights. And they'll need to be powered, controlled somehow, synced together, in sections, etc. There's a good amount of electrical and software engineering required to handle that. As well as at least one, but likely multiple people required to monitor and operate it all throughout the day and night shows.

Is it wired? Think of the mess of wires that will create all over the track. Tracks are all different, so they'll need long wires or an ability to change wire lengths between lights. Is it wireless and battery operated? There's significant difficulties with that too. Not trying to crap on the idea here, just give some additional insight as to why it's not so simple. 

I think a system like this would be amazing and fix a lot of issues, it just comes at significant effort and expense. And based on how the AMA has handled everything lately, I'm not sure they would think the expense is justified as it doesn't seam they realize they have a big problem for some reason! 

Redlight drone could be a solution to the wiring issue. Of course then there could be a problem with too much drone traffic in the stadium, weather affected too.

They could make money by having someone’s logo on it too. 

Can easily be individually battery powered and remote controlled. Only issue I can see (which is solveable) would be mounting them at height trackside to project out where they would not be a hazard to an out of control rider.

Already are battery powered remote controlled yellow flashing "flag" lights for tracks. Our club has some of these.

The biggest issue, which is also the root cause of the problems at Arlington, are the humans in the loop running the stuff.

We have the blue locating lights on all smaller equipment (forklifts, skid steers, man lifts, UTVs, etc...) around our plant. Works great, day or night, indoors or out, regardless of the surface condition or material.

Flags work the best for eyes while moving imo. But the only thing that will work is the AMA actually upholding the rule book and acting like the sanctioning body they are supposed to be. 

This is a  fantastic idea to have the entire jump face illuminated in the required color! Wonderful tech and relatively low cost to implement. These could be linked to a remote control to various locations on the track, as needed,  with each light being battery operated. I would envision this as a self contained system that could be rolled out and set up at each required location. It would take someone to monitor the system , that would be in contact via radio to track management. Something like  "turn on blue light A-3". Could be used in conjunction with an actual flag system for backup. AMA - Make it happen! Not next year, but next week! This is not rocket science to design...

Why can’t we throw this on a tough block to go across the jump horizontally? Like 2’ above the lip of the jump in the air.

UTV Whipless whip

Lots of great ideas in this thread. Hopefully someone in a position of power is thinking the same or at least is pointed in this direction. Simple solution to the issue. 

I was thinking today as they were talking on the podcast, why wasnt the light at the entrance to the corner instead of after the exit of the corner on top of the jump? This way the guys would have been able to see the light at the end of the straight away and had the whole straight away to think about it, or at least half. Then theyd already know its there well ahead of time, then through the corner theyd already know to be looking for the flag. The way it is now at the peak of the jump by the time its registered youre going by it. Why have it after the corner and not before? 

Along with that projection on the track, a strobing light on the track alongside it would be nearly impossible to miss.

I’m in the lighting industry and used to sell industrial emergency warning lights.  Strobing is key to visibility.

Easily done wireless.  Could be battery, but they have power run around the track already.

Another note, as above…. I think the location of the lights, even the lead in lights is important.  Better at the entry of the last turn for the finish line than coming out of the turn.  Massively longer visibility…

OK, how about like the 'leader lights', they have on the bike...   They could have another that... 'illuminates the front fender' of the bike, mounted on the front plate facing forward, for example.   Obviously, it can't be on the bar pad, anything like that facing the rider, dangerous distraction, but to illuminate the front fender, will get peripheral attention, no matter where you are on the track.  They could have trigger points around the track, as you pass, the light comes on, colored for Medical, or Stop.  Multiple controlled trigger points around the track.  Can't see this would be difficult.  Lots of race vehicles have warning lights, moto is different... but, this makes sense. 

To my knowledge, at one point Feld was interested in a similar solution but with lasers lighting up jump faces(edit maybe they were looking at these lights too, I remember spotlights being mentioned). I think maybe Trey Canard was pushing the idea? I was not for it in that it provided several challenges...lasers only come in certain colors and each has their own safety constraints-ie you dont want red laser in someones eyes. You have to figure where/how to mount them/ aim them/ think about people crossing infront of them between where they are mounted and where they are signaling. Power requirements, costs...etc

Several of these same concerns I believe would apply to these LED projection lights, but they would be much more workable and worth exploring. They could be integrated into current light systems which work off batteries and triggered by remotes. You would probably not want to embed them in the current foam lights as that would be hard to aim. Maybe mounting them on a plate on top...You still have to worry about them being an obstacle. People hitting them and misaiming them and then they get triggered on the wrong part of the track or shine in racers eyes. Putting them at places where the will still light up the intended jump faces while people are circulating in front of them  on the track etc...

As far on-bike notification that seems to be the dream, but would take significant work. Most car racing that uses it, uses it in track wide scenarios, or on large tracks not near as tight as supercross(to my knowledge). In track wide situations there is no need to integrate it with transponder systems and it is much simpler. Think about how often transponders go wonky in sx/mx, and then imagine that as you are trying to control lights on bike on track in real time in very specific sections. Plus there is significant cost developing and integrating the control systems. But maybe someone is working on it and that is the master plan?

Projecting into and across entire jump faces would be a bad ass solution if feasible.  Seems like a battery and wireless led projector system on the side of the track before key jumps could be developed.  

Just a little note, the lights they run on the bike now, 'leader lights', they seem to change the very second a pass has taken place.  How are these controlled?  Is it someone sitting watching the race?  Or electronically?

I would guess someone sitting and watching, as they don't have transponders lines that often. It would be technically possible through gps/software.

Or it could be a combination of automation with a manual override.

I don't know much about them.

If the fender lights were implemented, it would be possible to make every rider slow to a roll at the same time, no matter where they are on track.  It would alleviate the catching up or passing of other riders during a caution or red cross flag.  As well, it could be just as they move into an area, the light goes on, on front fender. I like the lights focused on the track as well.  Seems like, lights are the way to go, maybe in addition to flags.  

Something like this, https://raceceiver.com/collections/liteceiver-packages

would work great for for that. And would take away lots of confusion. But changes the whole dynamic of a red cross flag making it track wide. 

I did several down votes for the ideas of fender lights.  Who the hell looks at their fender while riding???? 
We saw how well looking at the fender worked a few weeks ago in practice/qualifying when Chase Sexton ran into another rider in the simple corner.