Makers wanted for safe cycling
Together with Bike Citizens, Salzburg Research is once again participating in the “Industry Meets Makers” initiative with a briefing in 2021. Ideas for intelligent textiles and/or infrastructure for safe cycling are being sought. On 15 April, Industry Meets Makers 2021 will start with the digital kick-off event. All briefings will be presented there.
Industry meets Makers is an open innovation community building format that aims to initiate new collaboration models between top industry and the creative maker scene in order to make the resulting innovation and business potential fruitful for the benefit of both sides. The current core concept essentially consists of top industrial companies, SMEs and research organisations announcing so-called “briefings” in future technology areas such as robotics, AI, 3D printing, Industry 4.0, IoT, Big Data, Blockchain, etc. and inviting innovative “makers” – start-ups, SMEs, freelance developers, designers, students and hobbyists – to solve these together with them within the framework of an approx. six-month get-to-know and co-creation period.
Save the Date: Industry Meets Makers Kick-off Event
April 15th 2021, from 3 p.m. (online)
Programme and regristration: industrymeetsmakers.com/imm2021-online-kick-off
Briefing by Salzburg Research & Bike Citizens:
Briefing: Smart textiles and infrastructure for safe cycling
Initial situation
Cities and regions with strong technological networking and digitalisation show great potential for making road traffic safer in the future. The future vision of traffic is autonomously driving cars that can communicate with other road users and traffic infrastructure in a networked way. This technological progress means a strong change for behaviour and communication in road traffic, especially when it comes to the protection of cyclists. When people are no longer behind the wheel, cyclists have to rethink some habits, such as eye contact with drivers, and be confident that they will be noticed despite self-driving cars. At the same time, the increasing technological connectivity also offers potential to warn cyclists of previously risky situations with other road users and thus avoid accidents. We would like to support cyclists now with a concept that will enable them to participate safely in traffic in the future.
Task
Smart textiles consist of electronic components and sensors that can react to bodily functions, external influences or external information and generate corresponding (warning) signals. The solution can be attached to the cyclist’s clothing or accessories, or to the bike, and emit haptic, acoustic or visual signals. Effective warnings such as a vibrating cycling glove could be generated, for example, when a car behind a bicycle is about to overtake, a car is about to set off at a poorly visible junction or wants to turn next to a bicycle. Warnings via smart textiles are intended to give cyclists the information advantage that prevents them from accidents and makes them safe and visible road users.
Perspectives
The smart textile briefing is embedded in several research projects of Salzburg Research, including the research project “Bike2CAV“, which deals with the networking and interaction between self-driving vehicles and cyclists. Embedded in this research project, a developed prototype can subsequently also be tested in a bicycle simulator for its effectiveness and acceptance.
In addition, smart textile kits and a small maker space are available on site as support and our team of experts is of course also on hand to offer advice during the development process.
Contact persons
The main contact persons on the part of Salzburg Research for this project are Eva Hollauf (innovation and value Creation) and Severin Bernhart (research and development / human motion analytics).
