Development of an "intelligent bicycle" equipped with a danger sensing system is ongoing

While bicycles that can be said to be one of the most primitive vehicles are easy-to-use vehicles, there are circumstances where high safety performance is not ensured. The development of a safety system that is mounted on such a bicycle to sense the danger of the surroundings is underway in the Netherlands.

Dutch launch 'intelligent bicycle' that warns of danger
http://phys.org/news/2014-12-dutch-intelligent-bicycle-danger.html

Development in the Netherlands is being promoted "Intelligent bicycleThe state of this is here. It is a system with a computer for warning people who are aware of the danger that is placed on the loading platform part, with a computer equipped with a front radar installed under the steering wheel and around the mudguard of the rear wheel The attached rear camera is designed to monitor the surrounding situation.


When the computer detects a danger, the vibrator built in the seat and the handle part of the bicycle vibrates, and it is said that it is a mechanism to notify the driver that the danger is approaching. The system under development is exposed to cables and connectors, but in the future it will be more sophisticated design and at the same time we will reduce the weight of the system which is about 25 kg.


This system is being developed by a non-governmental research institution in the Netherlands "TNO(Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) ". TNO is an organization established to conduct society and organization's competitiveness and contribution to society as a whole through research on applied chemistry.

TNO - innovation for life | TNO


A bicycle widely used as a leg of the life of the citizen is a casually driving ride, but consideration for safety is apt to be neglected. In order to prevent accidents, it is important for drivers to predict danger and avoid accidents, as well as how to detect the danger of approaching and ensure safety.

The development of this system has the purpose of reducing the damage of bicycle accidents, especially by elderly people. Maurice Kwakkernaat, a scientist involved in TNO research, said, "Bicycle accidents are caused by the fear that the driver feels when seeing the back behind or being overtaken at a fast speed," he says about the dangers .

ByLaurie Chipps

It is said that the system under development applied the technology already used for improving the safety of automobiles. Especially in Europe, Kwakkernaat says that the penetration rate of electric bicycles is high and it increases safety for bicycles running at speeds of around 25 km / h.

Cabinet Office investigations have found that accidents caused by bicycles also tend to increase in Japan, especially the high rate of accidents by young people and the high percentage of fatal accidents caused by elderly people. It seems to be said that practical application of technology such as "intelligent bicycle" is desired.

(PDF file) Summary of accidents and tasks surrounding bicycle traffic in Japan