Vela AI uses Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 to enable safety-conscious smart bikes
The Raspberry Pi is much more than a hobbyist's board. After more than a decade, it's not uncommon to find them in professional environments and even in commercial products like Velo AI's Copilot device. This gadget attaches to your bike to make it a "smart bike," thanks to a bit of help from our favorite SBC.
The founders behind Velo AI, Clarke Haynes and Micol Marchetti-Bowick, recently interviewed with Raspberry Pi, who shared some exclusive details about the development of Copilot. Initially, the team wanted to use Nvidia Jetson boards, but it quickly became obvious that a Raspberry Pi would be cost-effective while providing just enough power to handle the AI workload. It also helps that the Pi works in tandem with a Hailo AI co-processor.
Copilot is designed to be attached to your bicycle. It uses a camera to scan the environment for surrounding traffic. When a car is detected, Copilot can send various notification signals to the driver. You can enable audio-based notifications or even flash LEDs to let you know when a vehicle is following or trying to pass.
The exact model used in the Copilot is a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4. It works as the main processor and is aided by the Hailo AI in processing the images it captures using an Arducam camera module. The setup also includes a mount so it can be fixed to your bicycle's seat post or saddle rail. As an optional addition, you can use your smartphone to access the Copilot app to get even more control over the system.
Copilot is currently available for sale over at the Velo AI website. Units are expected to begin shipping this March. According to the official produce page listing, Copilot is priced at $399.
If you want to get a closer look at this Raspberry Pi-powered creation, check out the interview shared by Raspberry Pi. Be sure to follow Velo AI for more cool developments and any future updates to this one.
