Trek takes a high-tech approach to save cyclists’ lives
Trek is partnering with Ford and Tome Software to develop a network of connected cars and cyclists to increase safety.
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Trek has long been a proponent of high-visibility safety measures for cyclists, like daytime running lights. Now, the Wisconsin company is taking a step toward a high-tech solution to safety.
Trek is working with Tome Software and Ford Motor Company, to develop a new AI-based bicycle-to-vehicle (B2V) communication system.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 9-12, the companies are showing off a new Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology, which the companies say has the potential to help create safer road infrastructure, augmenting existing B2V technology, which was announced in September.
The system connects vehicles to a larger communications system, which means cars can communicate with other vehicles, pedestrian devices, bicycles, roadside signs, and construction zones.
A cyclist would ride with B2V-enabled equipment, initially manufactured by Trek or Bontrager. Or, he or she could have a mobile app with C-V2X. The driver would then be alerted by their car when a cyclist is present in a potentially dangerous area.
The goal is to reduce the number of cyclists killed and injured on the road. Ford is supporting the collaboration between Trek and Tome to help develop an efficient and usable system for all road users.
“We want to ensure that while cyclists have the tools and knowledge to do what they can to create a safer experience,” Trek’s Electronic Product Manager Scott Kasin said, “they will now have the enhanced ability to communicate their presence directly to vehicles.”
The B2V software will be licensed to cycling and automotive companies in hopes of establishing an industry standard.
You can learn more about the details of the system here.