Autotalks announces availability of ZooZ 2 safety device for bikes and scooters

Autotalks, a V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication solutions pioneer and leader, announces the immediate availability of ZooZ 2, the second generation of its V2X device for micro-mobility, both electric and non-electric. This technologically advanced yet affordable device was created to prevent bike and scooter accidents.

Four bike and component companies will soon launch ZooZ 2 pilots, and two vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) are about to start validation tests of the new solution. The device was successfully used to demonstrate the protection of vulnerable road users as part of the Project SECUR (Safety Enhancement through Connected Users on the Road), a European industrial consortium which develops a proposal for V2X testing and assessment protocols for the Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program). The new solution operates in both DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communication) V2X and C-V2X communications technologies.

The ZooZ 2 solution is a compact V2X device, which is installed on the handlebar. It alerts the cyclist when a vehicle equipped with V2X is endangering him or her. It also informs V2X-equipped vehicles and smart infrastructure about the existence of the cyclist, for alerting a driver on endangering a cyclist.

The plug & play device is equipped with a software stack provided by V2X software provider Commsignia. Commsignia’s high-quality V2X software is interoperable with any standard V2X equipment globally.

The  device upgrades the first-generation ZooZ platform based on market feedback. The upgrades include a clearer Human Machine Interface (HMI), improved alerts to riders and better installation flexibility. The solution will also enable all road-users, including cars, bikers, scooters, motorcycles, and pedestrians, to communicate with each other through V2X and form a safety network. The device allows micro-mobility OEMs as well as light vehicle and commercial vehicle OEMs to immediately start testing, validating, and designing solutions for one of the most dangerous micro-mobility scenarios - accidents at intersections.

According to statistics from the UK, almost two thirds of cyclists killed or seriously injured were involved in collisions at, or near, a road junction, with T-junctions being the most commonly involved. The research also found that roundabouts are particularly dangerous junctions for cyclists.

Autotalks will present the ZooZ 2 device at the Velo-City Conference, the world cycling summit, which will take place between June 14^th and June 17^th, 2022, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

"Autotalks regards all road accidents as preventable, and those accidents involving bikes and scooters deserve special attention," said Onn Haran, founder and CTO of Autotalks, and the inventor of the world's first V2X chipset. "Add this to the fact the V2X is the best relevant safety technology, our pioneering V2X capabilities and Commsignia’s leading V2X stack, and you get ZooZ 2, which has the potential to eliminate road accidents involving two-wheelers at intersections. We're committed to making our new micro-mobility safety device available immediately in order to save the lives of two-wheeler riders around the globe."

"V2X has the power to make the invisible visible, and we are excited to leverage this capability of our technology to make roads safer for bikers. Our longtime partnership with Autotalks has already resulted in great projects, and once again we are happy to contribute to the ZooZ device with our V2X software expertise. Micromobility is on the rise, and this cooperation is a great example to showcase how V2X technology can protect all participants of the traffic,” said Szabolcs Patay, CRO of Commsignia.