Luna plans to launch its first consumer cycling product, a rear-facing AI camera device paired with a smartphone app, later this year.
Dublin safety technology creator Luna Systems has raised €1.5m to bring its first AI safety camera hardware for bicycles and motorcycles to market.
The late seed round was led by cycling-focused VC firm Fundracer Capital and EIT Urban Mobility, with additional support from Enterprise Ireland.
Luna takes inspiration from aspects of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) – embedded computer vision technology in vehicles such as cars that make it safer to drive – and infuses them into AI-powered advanced rider assistance systems (ARAS) for bicycles and motorcycles.
To date, Luna – which was in founded in 2020 at Dublin City University – has only offered its Vision AI safety software to market. It plans to use this latest raise to accelerate to market as a full system provider, widening its commercial scope, the company said.
This year, Luna plans to launch a dual AI camera system designed to be integrated by vehicle manufacturers. The embedded safety features include collision warning, blind-spot detection and headway monitoring.
It also plans to sell its first consumer cycling product, a rear-facing AI camera device paired with a connected smartphone app for cyclists.
Building on the concept of radar cycling products, the start-up’s solution for two-wheelers will provide similar in-ride vehicle proximity warnings, in addition to intelligent evidence recording and post-ride mapping of incidents for blackspot identification.
The consumer product is geared towards road and commuter cyclists, with the goal of helping cyclists feel safer and more confident as they navigate traffic, the company said. Launching later this year, it will be available directly via the start-up, as well as through selected European distributors.
“ADAS technology for cars advances daily. We believe that, just like cars, ARAS will be just as commonplace on bikes and motorbikes in the coming years,” said Andrew Fleury, the CEO of Luna Systems.
“Six in 10 people are still too afraid to cycle in their area. Fear of mixing in traffic is a crucial barrier preventing people from getting on a bike – especially in busy cities.
“In most countries, people will wait years for perfect cycling infrastructure. Meanwhile, technology is already here that can play a huge role in bridging that gap, helping everyone feel safer as they move through their city.”
In 2024, Luna unveiled an AI-powered system to assist micromobility users, with the help of Qualcomm technology.
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