Bicycle Radar Camera Fusion for Rear Threat Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cyclists have limited visibility of objects behind them, and existing radar systems lack the capability to provide comprehensive situational awareness of moving targets, especially when these targets are not detectable via radar signals alone.
Innovation Solution
A bicycle radar system integrated with a camera and a user interface device that transmits radar signals, receives reflections, and generates situational awareness indicators, including video data, to provide real-time information on targets' distance, velocity, and threat levels, displayed on a mobile electronic device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a radar system is used to detect targets behind the bicycle, then the cyclist can detect moving targets in the sensor field, but the cyclist has limited visibility and situational awareness of targets not detectable via radar signals alone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a radar system with a camera system into an integrated bicycle-mounted sensor system. The radar unit detects targets using electromagnetic waves while the camera captures visual images of the same area, providing complementary information that together give comprehensive situational awareness beyond what either system could provide alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor acts as an intermediary that receives and processes signals from both the radar sensor and camera. It analyzes radar reflections and camera images, correlating the two data sources to provide enhanced target detection and situational awareness, effectively mediating between the two sensing modalities.
2Loss of information
If a camera is added to the radar system to provide visual confirmation, then situational awareness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera and radar unit are integrated into a single mounted system on the bicycle, with both sensors oriented to detect the same rearward area. This merged configuration allows the system to process multiple data types from a unified structure, improving situational awareness while managing complexity through integration rather than separate systems.
3Measurement precision
If the radar sensor and camera fields of view are made to overlap, then target identification accuracy is improved, but the sensor field area must be sufficiently large
Solution Approach 1:
The system focuses on creating an overlapping field of view in the critical rearward area where cyclists need situational awareness. By concentrating the sensor and camera coverage on this specific local area rather than requiring broad coverage everywhere, the system achieves high identification accuracy where needed while managing overall sensor field requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances cyclist safety by providing comprehensive situational awareness of targets behind the bicycle, improving reaction time and decision-making through real-time video and data analysis, beyond the limitations of radar signals alone.
Implementation Method 1
A radar sensor system can detect objects, vehicles, people, animals, and other targets in proximity to a bicycle located within sensor fields and/or the camera's field of view
Implementation Method 2
The camera generates images and/or video data for the field of view captured by the camera
Data Source
AI summary
A bicycle radar system including a camera is disclosed. The system may include a radar unit and a mobile electronic device that are in communication with one another. The radar unit may transmit radar signals, receive return signals (reflections), and process the returned radar signals to determine a location and velocity of one or more targets located in a sensor field behind a user's bicycle. The mobile electronic device may include a communication component configured to wirelessly receive content including cartographic data and one or more high-risk geographic areas and a processor configured to determine a threat level based on the targets, the high-risk geographic area and a determined geographic position.