AI Rear Monitor to Protect Rider Safety

Lund, Sweden

The Swedish developer of ground-breaking, lightning-fast sensors for car safety has now adapted its technology for micromobility, with Terranet announcing its BlincBike system recently.

BlincBike, the first of its kind, is a rear-view monitoring system that empowers cyclists to avoid accidents and make smarter decisions on the roads by classifying objects approaching from behind, read the distance, and predict where the object is likely to go.

Terranet previously developed BlincVision, which uses two sensor cameras and a laser scanner mounted on a car to detect objects in the path of the vehicle or approaching the car.

The laser continuously scans the area around the car, at lightning-fast speed, while the cameras follow the point of the laser beam to detect objects within a 25m radius. If an object presents a danger to the vehicle, BlincVision – which uses Terranet’s patented VoxelFlow technology – can trigger a response from the car within five milliseconds, compared to around 300 milliseconds for traditional Advanced Driver Assistance Systems technology.

For a vehicle travelling at 70 kmh, BlincVision would react in six centimetres, while a vehicle with traditional ADAS technology could travel an additional 5.94m.

The system’s algorithms can classify objects and determine the threat level, empowering cyclists to make smart and safe decisions in time.

“BlincBike is our first product to target micromobility but we see tremendous potential in providing safety products in the rapidly expanding micromobility space,” Terranet Chief Technology Officer Nihat Küçük said. 

“In the last four years, e-bikes were responsible for nearly 200,000 emergency room visits in the US.

BlincBike will help cyclists keep their eyes on the road ahead, while it keeps an eye on hazardous events potentially occurring from behind.

Its rear-view monitoring system uses AI-based computer vision to detect, track and classify objects. The system’s algorithms can classify objects and determine the threat level, empowering cyclists to make smart and safe decisions in time.

In-motion recordings will capture critical traffic situations to assist in with insurance claims.

“Thirty percent of all bicycle crashes are caused by cars and the most common bicyclist-motorist collision type is a rear-end collision,” according to a Terranet statement.

With BlincBike, if a car suddenly approaches from behind, the cyclist will receive a warning on the rearview display mounted on the handlebars or through a haptic (touch-based) feedback device located at the choice of the cyclist.

“This will allow the cyclist to avoid making any drastic turns that can cause a collision with the recognised object. A smart taillight indicates the cyclist’s actions to the upcoming traffic: braking, moving or stopping.

The first version of BlincBike will consist of two easily attachable and detachable parts: a rear-view display placed on the handlebars and a camera with rear light placed underneath the bike seat.

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Could this become an important safety feature for many new bikes?

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