Although collision warning systems have become quite common on cars, we definitely don't see them much on ebikes or mopeds. That will soon change, though, when the AI-based Roadio system is rolled out next year.
The technology is being developed by a San Francisco-based company of the same name, which was reportedly founded by past employees of Apple, Tesla and Uber.
There are three components to the system: front and rear 210-degree fisheye cameras, along with a RoadioSafety app running on the rider's handlebar-mounted smartphone. The HD cameras provide a combined 360-degree view of the surrounding road, which is continuously analyzed by computer vision and AI algorithms running on the app.
If an impending forward collision with another vehicle is detected – up to a distance of 125 meters (410 ft) – the app alerts the rider four to six seconds before the accident is predicted to occur.
The app also warns the rider if they're following another vehicle too close (up to 60 m/197 ft), if another vehicle may be about to cut them off from one side (30 m/98 ft), or if another vehicle is overtaking them from the rear (100 m/328 ft) – the latter feature is already offered by the Garmin Varia system.
As an added bonus, the app also serves as a video rearview "mirror" that records footage to document any collisions that may occur.
The Roadio system is currently only being offered directly to ebike and moped manufacturers, for factory installation into their bikes. Four such partnerships have just been announced, with more in the works. The first Roadio-equipped two-wheelers should be available starting next year.
You can see the system in use, in the video below.
Source: Roadio
