GapAware is a system built into the rider's cap or bike helmet or helmet that detects obstacles in the biker's path and immediately alerts them. It affords the biker a greater degree of spatial awareness, which reduces the risk of crushing into an obstacle.
The designers thus describe it, ‘The system measures the distance in six directions using ultrasonic distance sensors. Its innovation resides in the fact that the thermal imaging camera incorporated into the system enables detection and recognition of an obstacle and not just of a physical object, but also of people - pedestrians or other bikers, approaching the rider from the side or from the back.
The system informs the rider about the detected object and its location by a light, vibration and sound signal. ‘The advantage that GapAware offers is that it is CCD camera-free, which reduces any privacy concerns and increases public acceptance of the system’, the designers further explain.
The device was awarded a silver medal at IPITEX 2023 in Bangkok. The invention is particularly useful for people riding on bike paths, where other bikers, as well as pedestrians, are present. However, as its authors point out, ‘the device can also be successfully used in other scenarios, whenever keeping a safe distance from people and moving objects is important, e.g., in industrial settings’.
Incorporating the system's components into a helmet commonly used by bikers means that no discomfort is associated with its use.