In the coming weeks, bicycle researchers of the Smart Connected Bicycle project are experimenting in the Twekkelerveld. Participants will cycle several laps on an e-bike with an alert system. For this, the researchers are still looking for participants.
Traffic is getting busier and busier. An increasing number of people opt for the car, while bike lanes become increasingly crowded, which causes more accidents. "Innovations like electric bikes, fat bikes but also, for example, the F35 cycle highway between Enschede and Hengelo are causing cyclists to sometimes go faster than responsible," the researchers say.
The researchers explain further: "Our research aims to make cycling as enjoyable and safe as possible so that people will opt for the bike more often." To do so, the researchers are still looking for participants who want to participate in the experiments that will take place around the University of Twente campus and Twekkelerveld in the coming weeks. In particular, they are looking for non-cyclists, older people and women.
Warning system
In the study, subjects cycle three laps on an electric bike. The first lap is without a warning system, but in the two laps thereafter warnings are given in different ways. For example, in one run, participants cycle with special gloves that give a vibration signal when it is necessary to slow down a bit for an oncoming dangerous situation.
The tested technologies are comparable to innovations in cars. "Smart technologies for drivers help them to participate in traffic as safely as possible," the researchers explain. The researchers want to know which alerts and forms of communication work well for cyclists. This should make cycling safer and more enjoyable and hopefully, that leads to people using their bikes more often.
More information
The research is being conducted by researchers Annemarie Jutte from Saxion, and Deepak Yeleshetty, Georgios Kapousizis, and Mario Boot from UT. The Smart Connected Bicycle project is a collaboration between the University of Twente, Accell Group, TNO, Delft University of Technology and Saxion University of Applied Sciences. More information can be found on the Smart Connected Bicycle project's website. You can register for the study by signing up for a time slot on this page.
