Anicet Mbida 06:53, November 02, 2022

Anicet Mbida delivers to us every morning what is best in terms of innovation.

This Wednesday, he is interested in an invention that could prove useful for cyclists.

This is a bike that prevents collisions by anticipating the trajectories of other vehicles.

Your innovation of the day will make city cyclists dream.

You have found a bike that prevents collisions by anticipating the trajectories of other vehicles.

He even goes so far as to honk loudly so that the motorist realizes that he is doing anything wrong.

Either because he passes much too close, or he forgets that there may be someone in his blind spot, or quite simply, he does not see the cyclist in front of him.

For this, the bike is equipped with a box, installed under the saddle, with sensors and radar.

They allow him to analyze the speeds and trajectories of all vehicles over a distance of around thirty metres.

And if the algorithm determines a crash is imminent, it honks its horn to wake up whoever turns out to be a little too distracted.

Why only a honk and not automatic avoidance?

Because, on a bicycle, it is much more complicated.

If it brakes or if it turns automatically without warning you, you can quickly become unbalanced and break your face.

Of course, it could also sound an alarm and warn the cyclist.

But this poses other problems: not everyone has a hyper-fast reaction time.

Then, you have to be able to execute the right maneuver to avoid the impact.

While the horn, everyone knows.

If a motorist begins a maneuver and hears a horn, he will mechanically stop and apply the brakes.

It's like a reflex.

The approach is therefore very different from what has been done so far.

From now on, we speak directly to motorists to ensure that they notice cyclists.

And is it a case that we can already buy?

Very soon apparently.

The technology was developed by engineers at the University of Minnesota in the United States.

Until now, there were only prototypes.

But it has just been sold under license to several equipment manufacturers who will now be responsible for marketing.

They didn't give me names or dates.

One thing is certain, it will be quite expensive: around 600€.

But at least the bikes can no longer be ignored by motorists.

If they're going sideways, a honk, and they're back on track.