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A New Zealand-based technology start-up REYEDR is pioneering improved motorcycle safety with their smart heads-up display (HUD) technology. The REYEDR heads-up display for motorcycles is placing technology at the forefront of a new era in motorcycle safety.
Motorcycle Safety: The Numbers and the Risks
Riding motorcycles is a way of life for many. However, motorcycle safety has lagged behind passenger vehicles and other modes of transport for many years. This has been made clear in reports and statistics.
The Hurt Report (1981)
A landmark study on the subject, the Hurt Report, collected data on motorcycle safety in Los Angeles, California, and its surrounding areas. It published 55 key findings in 1981.
The Hurt Report found that wearing appropriate equipment such as a helmet and durable clothing could substantially mitigate crash injuries. With 75% of accidents in the study involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle, and two-thirds of those accidents being caused by an error on the part of the other driver, it became clear that protective clothing was crucial to motorcycle safety.
MAIDS Report (2009)
While calls for a US-based revisit to motorcycle safety statistics have been loud and clear for several years now, and seed money for the project has been committed by the US government, no new study has been conducted in the US.
The European Union, however, has been able to revisit the topic more recently. With the MAIDS (Motorcycle Accidents In Depth Study) project, data for 921 motorcycle accidents was collated with more 2,000 coded variables.
Data gathering began in 1999, and the report was published 10 years later. Its findings were severe.
A total of 103 cases studied involved a fatality, either of the rider or the passenger. The MAIDS report found that over half of motorcycle accidents took place at an intersection, and that nearly three quarters were in urban areas.
These findings clearly showed the need for smarter safety solutions for motorcyclists. A smart solution would keep the rider constantly informed of risks too dynamic for human brains to adequately mitigate.
The Latest Data
According to the most recent data from the US Department of Transport, 4,985 people died in the US in 2018 while riding motorcycles. While this is 5% lower than the previous year, motorcycle deaths in urban areas were up by a third from 2009.
The clear thread in these studies and statistics shows that urban areas, intersections, and other road users have always presented significant and too often fatal risks to motorcycle safety.
The Future of Motorcycle Safety: Smart Heads-Up Display Technology
The REYEDR heads-up display for motorcycles can make a drastic intervention in motorcycle safety.
The device is an after-market addition to regular motorcycle helmets, attaching to any helmet. With the latest advances in holographic technology, the REYEDR device displays important information for riders at infinite focus.
The infinite focus feature means that the REYEDR heads-up display for motorcycles is always in the rider’s field of vision. This is a valuable improvement in motorcycle safety, as it allows the rider to keep their eyes on the road constantly.
Looking at a motorcycle’s dashboard for only a couple of seconds could mean turning into a corner blind, or missing a sudden risk on the road. Infinite focus could be life-saving.
The REYEDR device aids motorcycle safety by providing information on speed, navigation, and alerts for riders. This information, powered by information technology, is extremely valuable to motorcycle riders.
Read more about transparent displays available on the market today.
REYEDR: Motorcycle Safety Pioneers
The technology start-up behind REYEDR is leading the way in motorcycle safety. The smart heads-up display technology is disrupting the industry already, despite still being in the DFM (design for manufacture) stage of the project.
A born-global venture, with an office in Rochester, New York, as well as operations based in Auckland, New Zealand, REYEDR is well-positioned to take advantage of world-leading technology innovations.
REYEDR was a finalist in the University of Auckland Spark (Velocity) Entrepreneurship Challenge in 2015, and came through the Lightning Lab Digital Accelerator in 2016.
Its smart heads-up display for motorcycles prototype was entered into the prestigious Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in 2017.
The small technology start-up has achieved global recognition, winning the Display Component of the Year award from the Society of Information Displays in May 2017, and sharing a stage with technology giants such as LG, Samsung, Apple, and Sony.
In November 2018, REYEDR won the Lightning Award and, with it, a prized place at Luminate, which is the only optics, photonics and imaging application accelerator in the world.
REYEDR HUD - Keep your eyes on the road
The Smart Future of Motorcycle Safety
The REYEDR heads-up display for motorcycles is a hint of things to come for future motorcycle safety. Its use of smart technology to drive motorcycle safety forward will become widespread in the decades to come, as optics and Internet-of-Things (IoT) innovations begin to present valuable information to people doing all sorts of activities.
REYEDR is busy preparing its smart heads-up display technology for commercial release. Motorcyclists will be eagerly awaiting the day REYEDR hits the shelves.
Sources and Further Reading
- REYEDR (2020) Introducing the REYEDR Heads-Up Display.
- Hurt, H. H., Ouellet, J. V., Thom, D. R. (1981). Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures Volume I: Technical Report. U. S. Department of Transportation.
- MAIDS Study (2009). MAIDS – In Depth Investigation of Motorcycle Accidents. The Association of European Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM). http://www.maids-study.eu/
- National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) (2019). Traffic Deaths 2018. https://www.nhtsa.gov/traffic-deaths-2018
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