MobiAlert: A Data-Driven Embedded System Approach to Enhance Safety for Cyclists

Ensuring the safety of cyclists navigating city streets remains a pressing concern, especially with the increasing frequency of accidents in densely populated areas. In fact, urban landscapes pose numerous challenges, including intricate road networks and heavy vehicular traffic, elevating the risk of accidents involving cyclists. This paper proposes the MobiAlert, an embedded system that utilizes geospatial data to evaluate the safety of cycling in urban areas. By analyzing the proximity to emergency response infrastructure and taking GPS coordinates, MobiAlert indicates the current risk level that a bicycle is experiencing, offering cyclists real-time alerts when crossing more critical areas. Implemented on a Raspberry Pi Zero board, MobiAlert is a cost-effective and efficient solution adaptable to diverse urban settings, allowing easy reproduction. Initial experiments based on the city of Porto, Portugal, demonstrates the practical applicability and effectiveness of this approach in enhancing safety for cyclists and promoting sustainable mobility.