By choosing Hellbender as its trusted hardware partner, Velo AI was able to reduce its development time, get its product to market, and execute on its core mission - creating safer streets for cyclists - sooner.
Harnessing AI to Revolutionize Bike Safety with Velo AI
Case Study from | Hellbender
Partner Profile
Velo AI is a technology-driven company focused on enhancing cycling safety through advanced AI solutions. Founded by Carnegie Mellon alumni and portfolio company of Innovation Works' Robotics Factory, Velo AI aims to transform everyday cycling into a safer, smarter experience. Their flagship product, Copilot, reimagines the traditional bike light as an intelligent safety device, leveraging autonomous vehicle technology to monitor traffic and alert cyclists to hazards beyond their field of vision.
Project Challenges
Cyclists face significant risks on urban and rural roads, often lacking real-time awareness of vehicles approaching from behind. Velo AI sought to address this gap by creating a compact, AI-powered solution that could operate independently of cloud connectivity, servers, and bulky desktop computers. The challenge was twofold:
- Technical Barriers: The device needed to be able to not just identify vehicles, pedestrians, and more, it needed to make advanced predictions in real time, with time to alert both bikers and drivers.
- Integration Complexity: The solution needed to combine computer vision and predictive analytics in a small form factor without compromising performance or durability.
As Velo AI’s hardware partner, Hellbender faced the task of designing a product within these constraints that was ready to manufacture at scale and deploy rapidly.
A refined Copilot prototype
Results & Recap
Hellbender leveraged its in-house engineering and manufacturing capabilities as well as its industrial design partnership with D’eramo Design to accelerate design and prototyping. This approach enabled rapid iteration and market entry without sacrificing design and build quality.
The result of this collaboration between Velo AI, D’eramo Design, and Hellbender was Copilot, a groundbreaking device that packages cutting-edge AI in a practical, bike-ready design. Powered by Raspberry Pi and the Hailo-8 AI processor, Copilot processes vast amounts of real time data, enabling predictive risk estimation that triggers both visual and auditory warnings. This ensures cyclists receive accurate and timely alerts about approaching vehicles, improving situational awareness and reducing the risk of accidents.
The final Copilot device
Key Features
- AI-Powered Predictive Analytics: Analyze vehicle behavior to identify potential hazards before they become threats.
- Visual & Audible Warnings: Alert cyclists and signals drivers simultaneously when threats are detected.
- Video Recording & Incident Review: Captures rides for safety analysis and documentation.
- Companion App Integration: Smartphone integration enhances user control and alert visibility.
- Durable, Compact Design: Built for outdoor conditions without compromising aesthetics or functionality.
- Battery Management: Offers a 5-hour battery life with USB-C rechargeability, supporting long rides and easy charging
Impact
Hellbender’s hardware and compute selection for Copilot provided Velo with the right platform to deploy its software and provide its customers an integrated solution to improve bicycle safety. By choosing Hellbender as its trusted hardware partner, Velo AI was able to reduce its development time, get its product to market, and execute on its core mission – creating safer streets for cyclists – sooner.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of ManufacturingTomorrow
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