Data-driven approach to road safety for cyclists in Netherlands uses Lidar-equipped e-bike
Lidar laser detectors have been fitted to an electric bike to gather data that could help AI teach cars to “see” bicycles and their riders
Dutch university researcher Holger Caesar heads out into the afternoon traffic on a bicycle like no other, equipped to collect data he believes may one day save lives.
His blue electric bike, kitted out with an array of laser sensors and scanners, speeds off among thousands of students pedalling home through the campus of the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), in the western Netherlands.
The campus of TU Delft is a warren of cycle paths – a perfect encapsulation of life in a country where bicycles outnumber people.
As Caesar cycles through Delft’s busy streets, his bicycle sweeps up data on range, direction and elevation of both moving and stationary objects – including cyclists, pedestrians and cars.
The aim is to build a three-dimensional picture of its surroundings and a better understanding of the way road users behave.