Rear-View-Radar
The final module of my 1st year was a designing for the future. For this module I was given a statement 'cycling isn't safe'.
As of 2022, 56% of fatalities involving cyclists occurred on rural roads. The most common contributing factor was drivers and rides failing to look properly, due to a lack of visibility or awareness. Often when cycling on the roads , spotting the traffic approaching from behind is difficult, hearing approaching traffic is difficult due to the wind rushing past your ears impairing your hearing.
RVR, Rear view radar is a radar system that conveniently plugs into the end of the drop bars on the bike. This is facing behind the bike, using radar waves they scan the road behind the rider for approaching traffic the rider may have not spotted.
The head unit notifies the rider through haptic and visual feedback. The unit initially prompts the user to look at the unit by vibrating the handlebars, simultaneously the red bars illuminate as the vehichle gets closer. This allows the rider to concentrate upon the road ahead while being alerted of approaching traffic from behind
The benefit that this proposes for the future is that with the increased volume of Electric vehicles on the road these vehicles are much harder to hear as they have no engine running. For cyclists they are even more difficult to hear appraoching, This is where RVR comes in to ensure that riders are aware of surrounding traffic with the aim of reducing fatalities due to lack of awareness.