You will find a number of cyclists who claim that they are almost perfect when it comes to spotting road hazards and don’t need any gadget to help them out. However, even the best of us can fall sometimes and sooner or later, something will distract you thus landing you in a situation that can hurt you. Byxee has been designed to keep that from happening. It will be mounted on the bike and will scan the road ahead of the bike at a rate of hundreds of times per second and shall alert the user if there’s anything that might wreck their wheels or cause a crash.
Byxee makes use of a video camera and a microprocessor along with a custom algorithm to ascertain shadows and contrast differences that have been caused because of irregularities on day-lit road surfaces. If the software ascertains that a particular object is a threat (measuring 76mm or larger), an audio alarm is sounded to alert the user. It also warns user when a moving objects enter its field of view.
The device scans road 15-25 meters in front of the cyclist and only engages when cyclist has an open road ahead. So you need not worry about it going off when you are following other cars or riders. On Roads that have a continuously uneven surface, the driver is alerted only once at the beginning. It is powered by a USB-rechargeable battery that is good enough for 30 hours of use after a charge. The gadget is water-resistant and offers multiple sensitivity and field-of-view settings to cater to different styles of riding.
As of now, Italian designers of the gadget are raising funds on Indiegogo. A pledge of $139 will get you a unit of Byxee when and if it’s ready to go. The planned retail price is $249.
