An assistance system for cars and lorries that recognises cyclists and measures the distance to them could make cycling safer in the future. The BikeDetect research project at the University of Oldenburg, led by business informatics specialist Prof Dr Jorge Marx Gómez, aims to lay the foundation for this. iotec GmbH from Osnabrück is involved in the project, with the city of Osnabrück and ADFC Osnabrück as associated partners. The project is being funded for 18 months by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) as part of the mFUND innovation initiative with almost 200,000 euros.
The main aim of the project is to find out which combination of sensors is best suited to reliably recognise cyclists from a vehicle. The team is focussing on the most cost-effective methods possible. The researchers are testing ultrasound, radar and optical methods to measure distance, while LiDAR, 3D cameras and heat measurements are being used to recognise people on a bicycle. The aim is to create an AI system that analyses the recorded data. This system will be developed step by step and tested and improved in the laboratory, in a car park and in road traffic. The city of Osnabrück and the ADFC are involved in the selection of as many different routes as possible for the field tests. The city of Osnabrück sees the project as an opportunity to increase cycling safety. The aim is to provide motorised road users with tools with which they themselves can make an even better contribution to protecting cyclists. The team plans to present the results to the public.
The goal is "Vision Zero"
The ADFC Lower Saxony hopes that the project will make all motorised road users more aware of cycling. "However, it is also extremely important that the results and tools are made available to the local authorities in Lower Saxony for their own use once the study is complete," says Rüdiger Henze, State Chairman of the ADFC Lower Saxony. The goal must continue to be "Vision Zero", i.e. the goal of realising a safe traffic system without fatalities and serious injuries.
At the end of BikeDetect, a prototype sensor system including a suitable concept for data management should be available. "Our vision is that future driver assistance systems will also keep an eye on cycling traffic and help drivers to keep a safe distance from cyclists," says project leader Jorge Marx Gómez. The project is thus making an important contribution to increasing cycling safety.
About the mFUND funding programme
As part of the mFUND funding programme, the BMDV has been supporting research and development projects relating to data-based digital innovations for the mobility of the future since 2016. Project funding is supplemented by active professional networking between stakeholders from politics, business, administration and research and the provision of open data in the Mobilithek.
