In 2021, Onsee was awarded funding from the Department for Transport's T-TRIG (Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant) programme to explore how smart cycling technology could help reshape the future of our cities. This project set out to demonstrate how data collected by cyclists themselves could provide the insights needed to make roads safer for everyone.
Our Vision
Our vision is simple: get people moving on bikes safely. We believe that cycling has the power to transform cities - reducing congestion, improving air quality, boosting public health, and building stronger communities. But none of this is possible if people do not feel safe enough to ride. By using technology to identify and document the specific hazards cyclists face, we can give local authorities and transport planners the evidence they need to take action.
The Challenge
The challenge we face in the UK is stark. Only 3% of the population cycle regularly, compared to countries like the Netherlands and Denmark where cycling is a normal, everyday activity. Research shows that the average UK cyclist experiences around 450 near misses per year. That is more than one frightening incident per day for those brave enough to ride.
The problem is that most of these near misses go unreported. Without data, local authorities cannot prioritise where to invest in infrastructure improvements. Cyclists are left frustrated, and the cycle of underinvestment continues.
The Solution
REBO, our smart cycling camera, is equipped with IoT sensors and video capture capabilities that allow cyclists to automatically record their journeys. Combined with our video analysis platform, we can identify and categorise incidents that occur during rides, building a comprehensive picture of cycling safety across a city.
The data is geotagged and timestamped, creating a live map of cycling hazards. This turns individual experiences into collective intelligence, giving transport planners an evidence base they have never had before.
The Process
For the T-TRIG trial, we incorporated the watching eye effect into REBO's design to provide an immediate passive safety benefit, while the camera's recording capabilities captured data for analysis. We partnered with Pedal and Post, a cycling logistics company based in Oxford, to deploy REBO cameras on their fleet of delivery bikes.
Oxford was chosen as the trial city due to its mix of cycling infrastructure - from dedicated cycle lanes to shared roads and complex junctions. The Pedal and Post riders covered routes across the city every day, providing a comprehensive dataset of real-world cycling conditions.
The Result
The trial generated 104 data points and identified 77 individual incidents across 8 categories:
- Close Pass - vehicles passing dangerously close to cyclists
- Traffic Violation - red light running, illegal turns, and other offences
- Obstruction to Cycle Lane - parked vehicles, bins, and debris blocking cycle infrastructure
- Hook or Space Invasion - vehicles turning across a cyclist's path or encroaching on their space
- Heavy Traffic - congestion forcing cyclists into dangerous positions
- Other Infrastructure Issues - potholes, poor signage, and design flaws
- Other Issues - pedestrian conflicts, animal hazards, and miscellaneous dangers
- Unknown - incidents requiring further review
This data was mapped across Oxford, revealing clear hotspots where incidents clustered. For the first time, the city had a data-driven picture of where cyclists were most at risk, backed by video evidence that could inform specific interventions.
Next Steps
The next phase of our work focuses on automatic near miss identification. By applying computer vision and machine learning to the video data captured by REBO, we aim to remove the need for manual review entirely. This will allow the system to scale - processing thousands of hours of cycling footage and automatically flagging incidents for review.
Automated identification will make it possible for entire cities to be monitored in real time, with cycling safety dashboards providing live insights to transport planners. This is the future we are building - one where every cyclist contributes to making roads safer simply by riding.
