LifeLight: Wearable Active Hazard Detection System for Urban/Suburban Nighttime Cyclists

Abstract

The goal of the LifeLight is to decrease traffic fatalities for cyclists by increasing the visibility of the cyclist and alerting them to vehicles approaching from behind. The primary safety feature not found in any competing product is the adaptive LED array. Current safety technologies do not account for variations in ambient lighting and provide little to no protection during times of low visibility and high traffic volume. The LED array is designed to work under any lighting conditions and is activated in the presence of approaching vehicles. In conjunction with the LED array, the LifeLight utilizes a LiDAR distance sensor for vehicle detection which can operate in any lighting conditions and does not have the issues of ranging and false positives that other detection systems encounter. The final critical safety feature that LifeLight possesses is the USB rearview camera for use with the rider’s phone, giving them a live video feed view of what is behind them. The cameras used by competing products for cyclists are exclusively used to record the ride for later viewing. Such a feature only provides the user with evidence in the event that something happens as opposed to our system that gives live feedback to the user during the ride.