LOS ANGELES and THALWIL,
Switzerland, Oct. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bird, the
leader in environmentally friendly electric transportation, today
announced the first-of-its-kind "smart sidewalk
protection" technology - a sensor fusion solution - designed
and developed in partnership with u-blox (SIX:UBXN), the leader in
wireless communication and positioning technology and services.
Smart Sidewalk Protection, which is integrated into Bird's
vehicles, is designed to prevent micromobility devices from being
used on sidewalks and footpaths.
As more and more cities look to integrate shared micromobility
into the climate action plans that focus on reduced carbon
emissions in their communities, technology that prevents sidewalk
riding has become increasingly important. Through its collaboration
with u-blox, Bird co-developed the industry's first robust,
integrated sensor fusion system that tracks location with
centimeter-level precision. By combining u-blox's ZED-F9R high
precision dead reckoning module with centimeter-level sidewalk
mapping and Bird's suite of onboard vehicle sensors, the integrated
system effectively and efficiently detects and prevents sidewalk or
footpath riding in real time. For example, as opposed to
traditional GPS with cloud based maps that can take more than 15
seconds to respond, Bird's new smart sidewalk protection solution
can safely bring a vehicle that has entered onto a sidewalk to a
safe stop while allowing the rider to walk the vehicle back to the
roadway or bike lane.
"Everything we build at Bird is centered around safety and
scalability, sidewalk riding detection is no exception," said
Scott Rushforth, Chief Vehicle
Officer at Bird. "After three years of building, testing and
piloting a range of technologies including but not limited to on
board cameras, GPS tracking, ultra-wideband and beacons, we found
that each was insufficient with regard to accuracy, precision,
immediacy or scalability. Our testing led us to a collaboration
with u-blox which resulted in the development of our end-to-end
sensor fusion solution that meets our criteria."
"We are very excited about this collaboration between u-blox and
Bird," said Alex Ngi, Product
Manager Positioning at u-blox. "Our centimeter-level precise GNSS
positioning technology will now be implemented in the expanding
micromobility industry, strengthening our contribution to a safer
and more ecological world."
Availability
Bird's sidewalk detection technology is
currently being piloted in Milwaukee and San
Diego, and is expected to be piloted in Madrid in early 2022.
For more about Bird's Sensor Fusion Solution that prevents
sidewalk and footpath riding visit: www.bird.co/blog.
About Bird
Bird is an electric vehicle company
dedicated to bringing affordable, environmentally friendly
transportation solutions such as e-scooters and e-bikes to
communities across the world. Founded in 2017 by transportation
pioneer Travis VanderZanden, Bird is
rapidly expanding. Today, it provides fleets of shared micro
electric vehicles to riders in more than 300 cities globally and
makes its products available for purchase at www.bird.co and via
leading retailers and distribution partners. Bird partners closely
with the cities in which it operates to provide a reliable and
affordable transportation option for people who live and work
there. On May 12, 2021, Bird
announced that it entered into a definitive business combination
agreement with Switchback II Corporation (NYSE: SWBK).
About u-blox
u-blox (SIX:UBXN) is a global technology
leader in positioning and wireless communication in automotive,
industrial, and consumer markets. Their smart and reliable
solutions, services and products let people, vehicles, and machines
determine their precise position and communicate wirelessly over
cellular and short range networks. With a broad portfolio of chips,
modules, and secure data services and connectivity, u-blox is
uniquely positioned to empower its customers to develop innovative
and reliable solutions for the Internet of Things, quickly and cost
effectively. With headquarters in Thalwil, Switzerland, the company is globally present
with offices in Europe,
Asia, and the USA. For more information, visit:
https://www.u-blox.com/en.
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SOURCE Bird