chimelight

The light turns green. You hear the chime, not the honk.

A tiny windshield camera that chimes when your light turns green. No app. No account. Nothing recorded.

Kickstarter first run · $39 early bird target · $49 retail target

ChimeLight in a stopped car An interior dashboard view: the car waits at a red light, the driver glances away, the signal turns green, ChimeLight chimes, and the car rolls forward. chimelight
The whole pitch, in one sound: green light, soft chime, no horn.
Built Detection stack

Green-light classification and stop-state logic are in the repo and covered by tests.

Next gate Mounted prototype demo

The Kickstarter opens with real road-test assets: product on glass, one-loop demo, and repeatable chime timing.

First run 1,000 units

The planned $49k campaign funds tooling, certification, and the first production run.

Behavior

The product is one perfect second.

ChimeLight is deliberately narrow: it pays attention only when your attention drifts, then disappears again the moment you're moving.

Your light turns green
A quick, bright two-note chime. That's the whole product.
The car ahead pulls away
The same chime — for when the queue moves before you can see the signal.
You pull away first
Nothing. If you're already moving, the chime cancels.
The light is green when you arrive
Silence. It only speaks after watching your light turn from red to green.
Every stop
One chime, at most. It never repeats itself, and it never talks while you drive.
Privacy

Nothing leaves the lens.

ChimeLight looks at the road through a single forward lens, decides in the moment, and forgets every frame. There is no storage and no radio inside — footage couldn't leave the device if it wanted to. And no lens faces you.

App
None
Account
None
Subscription
None
Wi-Fi
None
Bluetooth
None
Recordings
None
Updates to babysit
None
Chimes per stop
One
Hardware

Built like a thing you forget about until it saves the moment.

Suction mount

Sits low in a corner of the windshield, out of your sightline.

Detachable 10 ft cable

Reaches any USB port or 12 V adapter — and it's a standard USB-C cable, detachable at both ends. Need a different length? Use any cable you own.

Volume dial

On the side of the unit. From barely-there to back-seat audible.

Day and night

Traffic signals are bright by design — which is exactly what ChimeLight watches for, rain or shine.

Setup takes about one red light. Mount it, plug it in, drive.

Launch list

Get the first-run notice before the horn finds you.

Planned box: ChimeLight unit, suction windshield mount, and a detachable 10 ft USB-C cable.

  • Kickstarter first run planned
  • $39 early bird target for the first 200 backers
  • $49 retail target after the campaign
  • No subscription, ever

$39Early bird target. $49 retail target after the campaign.

Get launch notice

The campaign link replaces this button once the Kickstarter page is live. Until then, this opens an email so we can add you to the launch list.

The first run

Make the first thousand real.

We are launching it the way hardware deserves: product on glass, a one-loop green-light demo, and clear manufacturing math. Those assets are the current gate.

After that, what stands between ChimeLight and your windshield is one production run. The planned campaign funds exactly that: tooling, certification, circuit boards, assembly, and the first 1,000 units off the line.

Early bird target: $39. Retail target after the campaign: $49. No subscription. No app. No data leaves.

Get the Kickstarter launch notice

The real campaign URL replaces this link the day Kickstarter approves the project.

Questions

Asked and answered.

Does it record anything?

No. ChimeLight analyzes the camera feed live, on the device, and discards every frame. There is no storage, no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth — no way to get video out of it, by design.

Does it work at night or in the rain?

Yes. Traffic signals are built to be bright and unambiguous, which is exactly what ChimeLight looks for, day or night. Heavy fog or a fully blocked view will defeat it — the same conditions that would defeat your own eyes.

What if the light is already green when I pull up?

It stays quiet. ChimeLight only chimes after it has watched your light be red and then turn green while you're stopped — so it never nags you when you're already moving.

When will it ship?

Kickstarter reward units target Q4 2026 after a successful campaign, prototype validation, certification, and manufacturing. Backers should get build updates before units leave the warehouse.

Will it fit my car?

Any car with a windshield and a USB power source. The included cable is 10 feet long, so a console port or a 12 V phone-charger adapter both reach comfortably — and since it's a standard USB-C cable, detachable at both ends, you can swap in any length you like.

Is a windshield-mounted device legal?

Rules vary by state and country, but most allow small devices mounted low in a corner of the windshield — the same rules that cover dashcams and toll tags. The manual includes placement guidance; when in doubt, check your local law.

Can I return it?

The planned retail policy is 30 days, no questions asked, with a 1-year warranty after that. Kickstarter refunds and returns will follow the campaign terms until fulfillment.

Drive safely

ChimeLight is a convenience aid, not a driving aid. It tells you the light has changed — it does not tell you it's safe to go. You remain responsible for watching the road, signals, pedestrians, and traffic. Mount the device low, where it doesn't obstruct your view and where local law permits.