Jaguar-Land Rover and Volvo present new technologies to make motorcyclists, cyclists and drivers safer

On 20 January Jaguar Land Rover announced that they are developing a range of new technologies that would use colours, sounds and touch inside the car to alert drivers to potential hazards and prevent accidents involving motorcycles and bicycles. Earlier this month, Volvo Cars and POC demonstrated a wearable cycling tech concept at International CES in Las Vegas.

Sensors on the car will detect when another road user is approaching and identify it as bicycle or motorbike. Bike Sense will then make the driver aware of the potential hazard before the driver sees it.

To help the driver understand where the bike is in relation to their car, the audio system will make it sound as if a bicycle bell or motorbike horn is coming through the speaker nearest the bike, so the driver immediately understands the direction the cyclist is coming from. Moreover, the system would intelligently prioritise the nearest hazards so the driver would not be overwhelmed or distracted with light or sound. Bike Sense will also help prevent vehicle doors being opened into the path of bikes when the vehicle is parked.

Bike Sense would warn all passengers of an approaching cyclist, motorbike or car through sound and light inside the vehicle. If any passenger continues to open the door, the door handle will light up, vibrate and buzz to alert them to the danger.

Volvo Cars and POC demonstrate wearable cycling tech concept at International CES 2015

Earlier this month, Volvo Cars and POC demonstrated a wearable cycling tech concept at International CES in Las Vegas (6-9 January 2015). The technology consists of a connected car and helmet prototype that will establish 2-way communication offering proximity alerts to Volvo drivers and cyclists and thereby avoid accidents.

Using a popular smartphone app for bicyclists, like Strava, the cyclist’s position can be shared through the Volvo cloud to the car, and vice versa. If an imminent collision is calculated, both road users will be warned – and enabled to take the necessary action to avoid a potential accident.

The Volvo driver will be alerted to a cyclist nearby through a head-up display alert – even if he happens to be in a blind spot, e.g. behind a bend or another vehicle or hardly visible during night time. The cyclist will be warned via a helmet-mounted alert light.