LAS VEGAS, Nev. (BRAIN) — Trek Bicycle and Tome Software are showing a new artificial intelligence-driven bicycle-to-vehicle communication system at the Consumer Electronics Show here this week.
Trek announced in September that it was working with Tome on a B2V system. At the show on Tuesday, Ford announced a system that uses cellular communications to allow vehicles to communicate with other vehicles, pedestrian devices, bikes, and roadside infrastructure including traffic signs and construction zones. Ford is working with Qualcomm on that system, called C-V2X. C-V2X also provides opportunities for direct bicycle electronics integration, as well as mobile phone app integration for cyclists.
In a release Tuesday, Trek said that Ford is supporting the work it's doing with Tome to evaluate the technical opportunities and the best user experiences for cyclists on roadways.
"Ford has been supportive of our mission to make cycling safer since day one and we all understand how important it is that B2V technology is open and shared," said Tome founder and CEO Jake Sigal.
Trek electronics product manager Scott Kasin said, "The future for us is moving from a more passive approach to cycling safety and focusing our development on active safety measures.
"We want to ensure that while cyclists have the tools and knowledge to do what they can to create a safer experience, they will now have the enhanced ability to communicate their presence directly to vehicles."
For B2V, Trek said it will focus on the rider's user experience and the electronics available to them that will alert drivers to their presence in potentially-dangerous roadway areas. Unlike its existing visibility products, Trek B2V-enabled equipment will focus on giving driver alerts directly to approaching vehicles. The software technology will be licensed to cycling and automotive companies as an industry standard. While the technology will initially appear in Trek and Bontrager products, the company intends to publish the results of its development.
