Bike Sense

Jaguar Land Rover is developing a range of new technologies to alert drivers to potential hazards and prevent accidents that involve bicycles and motorbikes.

In the event of another approaching road user, the new ‘Bike Sense’ technology will alert sensors on the car to detect and identify it as a bicycle or motorbike, making the driver aware of the danger.

According to the company, the technology would use colours, sounds and touch inside the car that the driver will instinctively associate with the possible hazard.

The audio system will help the driver understand where the bike near the car by making it sound as if a bicycle bell or motorbike horn is coming through the speaker nearest the bike.

"Bike Sense takes us beyond the current technologies of hazard indicators and icons in wing mirrors."

The driver will immediately understand the direction the cyclist is coming from.

Bike Sense will also detect if a bicycle or motorbike is coming up the road behind the car and is overtaking or coming past the vehicle on the inside.

By extending, the top of the car seat will tap the driver on the left or right shoulder alerting to instinctively look over that shoulder to identify the hazard.

Jaguar Land Rover director of research and technology Dr Wolfgang Epple said: "Human beings have developed an instinctive awareness of danger over thousands of years.

"Certain colours like red and yellow will trigger an immediate response, while everyone recognises the sound of a bicycle bell.

"Bike Sense takes us beyond the current technologies of hazard indicators and icons in wing mirrors, to optimising the location of light, sound and touch to enhance this intuition. This creates warnings that allow a faster cognitive reaction as they engage the brain’s instinctive responses."

Bike Sense would be able to identify hazards that the driver cannot see and help prevent vehicle doors being opened into the path of bikes when the vehicle is parked.

It is claimed to have the potential to bridge the gap between the safety and hazard detection systems in the car and the driver and their passengers reducing the risk of accidents with all road users.

Image: Bike Sense cyclist red alert. Photo: courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover.