German Project BikeDetect Aims to Enhance Cyclist Safety with Vehicle Sensors
A research project at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, BikeDetect, is working to enhance cyclist safety using vehicle sensors. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) with around €200,000, the project aims to improve recognition of cyclists from vehicles, with the city of Osnabrück actively involved.
BikeDetect is exploring various methods for distance measurement and cyclist recognition. Ultrasonic, radar, and optical techniques are being tested for speedtest, while LiDAR, 3D cameras, and heat measurements are used for cyclist recognition. The University of Oldenburg has trained AI models to recognize cyclists based on test data, and an AI system is being developed to evaluate recorded data.
The city of Osnabrück is playing a significant role in the project. It sees BikeDetect as an opportunity to boost cycling safety through technology and is involved in selecting routes for field tests. Test drives with a research vehicle are scheduled for October in the city to validate the software and hardware under real conditions. The project is led by Professor Dr.-Ing. Jorge Marx Gómez and involves iotec GmbH and the city of Osnabrück. The Associated Partner, Stadt Karlsruhe, is supporting the practical testing phase by providing infrastructure and enabling test routes.
BikeDetect is dedicated to finding the optimal combination of sensors to reliably recognize cyclists from vehicles. With the support of the city of Osnabrück and Stadt Karlsruhe, the project aims to make cycling safer through advanced speedtest technology.
