You may have come across the news of an artificially intelligent camera that steers a bicycle as the cyclist is playing a guitar on the streets of Singapore. Lau Jin Ming, an engineering student, developed an AI-chip with a camera which detects lanes and subsequently steers the bicycle it is mounted on.
What started as a passion project for Lau garnered much media attention and sparked the possibility of sharing this device with other cyclists. Since then, Lau and his team have added more features to the AI-chip before launching it as a full-fledged product. They are also obtaining a patent for their invention.
With Lau at the helm of the technology, he is the team’s CTO. He’s also roped in two friends and they’ve further developed it into a marketable product. Matthew Chia and James Ong now act as Cycleye’s CEO and COO, respectively.
With Lau at the helm of the technology, he is the team’s CTO. He’s also roped in two friends and they’ve further developed it into a marketable product. Matthew Chia and James Ong now act as Cycleye’s CEO and COO, respectively.
From the Left: Lau Jin Ming, Matthew Chia, and James Ong, Founders of Cycleye
We had a chance to interview the brains leading this exciting technology: Lau Jin Ming (22), Matthew Chia (23), and James Ong (24).
Cycleye’s features could save lives of cyclists and road-users
A Sneak Peek of the Cycleye Product
Cycleye is a safety device mounted on bicycles and aims to protect cyclists who may be accident-prone and unaware of their surroundings. But what inspired Lau to invent it?
He and his group of friends were cycling at the zebra crossing when they collided with a car on the road. “It was quite shocking to me and it occurred to me that this can happen any time anywhere. Until this day, I am still quite traumatised by it,” Lau shared.
As the engineering student showed me the battery-powered device, it beeped loudly and the red LED lights definitely caught my eyes. “It’s still in it’s tinkering phase,” Matthew chuckles as Lau explains the different aspects of it.
The Cycleye, in its pre-launch phase, was yet to be fashioned into an appealing casing ready for the shelves. But I was glad to get a first-hand look at the device in all its glory.
Cycleye’s camera captures the surroundings and traces the lanes on the road. Then it sends a signal to the servo motor (attached to the bicycle handlebars) to nudge the bicycle in the right direction and help them stay on their lane. This was the magic that allowed Lau to cycle hands-free in the first iteration.
He and his group of friends were cycling at the zebra crossing when they collided with a car on the road. “It was quite shocking to me and it occurred to me that this can happen any time anywhere. Until this day, I am still quite traumatised by it,” Lau shared.
As the engineering student showed me the battery-powered device, it beeped loudly and the red LED lights definitely caught my eyes. “It’s still in it’s tinkering phase,” Matthew chuckles as Lau explains the different aspects of it.
The Cycleye, in its pre-launch phase, was yet to be fashioned into an appealing casing ready for the shelves. But I was glad to get a first-hand look at the device in all its glory.
Cycleye’s camera captures the surroundings and traces the lanes on the road. Then it sends a signal to the servo motor (attached to the bicycle handlebars) to nudge the bicycle in the right direction and help them stay on their lane. This was the magic that allowed Lau to cycle hands-free in the first iteration.
The Prototype Mounted on a Bicycle. (Components Used in the Prototype Are not Manufactured/Owned by Cycleye)
As they further developed the prototypes, the team also added the anti-collision feature. If an oncoming obstacle is detected by the ultrasonic sensors, the LED on Cycleye would flash and a loud beep would sound, warning the cyclist to take quick action. This collision avoidance system is fundamentally used as a safety feature in many modern cars today.
“In addition to our 2 prototypes so far, we are currently streamlining the components to make it easier to manufacture,” added James, when I asked about their pre-launch efforts.
“In addition to our 2 prototypes so far, we are currently streamlining the components to make it easier to manufacture,” added James, when I asked about their pre-launch efforts.
Stay tuned for the launch of Cycleye
Upon research, the guys learned that 65.7% of children in the pediatric wards are cyclists in bicycle-related injuries. This encouraged them even more to continue with the project to improve road safety and awareness for cyclists of all ages.
The team took their idea to the NUS Overseas College Program where they could pitch their idea. “There was a panel of judges who evaluated our final pitch, the market validation and our business model,” Matthew told me.
“At the end of the pitch, they saw the potential in our team and gave us the grant,” he explained.
The grant is a $10,000 Venture Initiation Program (VIP) Grant by NUS Enterprise. They aim to channel the funds into further R&D, the initial phases of the launch, and marketing efforts. There will also be a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, with the product launch targeted at Q3 of 2022.
You can stay updated and preorder your Cycleye now on their website and Instagram.
The team took their idea to the NUS Overseas College Program where they could pitch their idea. “There was a panel of judges who evaluated our final pitch, the market validation and our business model,” Matthew told me.
“At the end of the pitch, they saw the potential in our team and gave us the grant,” he explained.
The grant is a $10,000 Venture Initiation Program (VIP) Grant by NUS Enterprise. They aim to channel the funds into further R&D, the initial phases of the launch, and marketing efforts. There will also be a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, with the product launch targeted at Q3 of 2022.
You can stay updated and preorder your Cycleye now on their website and Instagram.