I like the idea of LED rope lights! I had thought about an LED bar, but that might add too much to the weight. Another option might be to simply include a brightly colored foam ball attached with velcro. The ball could be as large and visible as the old globes, but it wouldn't need to weigh as much, and it really doesn't need to be wired IMHO.

Actually, I think the LED's we used would be much more effective if they flashed more often. It seemed like I'd have to stare at a robot for a couple of seconds before I could tell which side it was on.