Survue Cycling Radar: A Gimmick or Must-Have Accessory?

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While browsing Kickstarter campaigns, I encountered Survue. It is a cycling radar that uses computer vision. So, is this just another “AI” product, where the AI only attracts clicks or a promising and innovative radar? Let’s find out!

To be fair to Survue, the mention of “computer vision models” is only found in the last paragraph, and they don’t mention the abbreviation “AI” at all. Their campaign is primarily based on the fact that their radar can detect the exact position of vehicles. As well as alerting you to them, it can also take video footage of vehicles overtaking you too closely. Survue radar is thus very similar to the Garmin Varia RCT715, which combines a taillight, camera, and radar.

How Does Survue Radar Work?

Unlike traditional cycling radars, Survue identifies vehicles’ exact locations and predicts their paths. It can differentiate between passing and potentially colliding vehicles, providing meaningful alerts and boosting your confidence on the road.

Survue records videos of vehicles that pass too closely, using its prediction capabilities instead of accelerometers. This should reduce false positives and save you from sifting through unnecessary footage. This was actually one of the biggest weaknesses of the RCT715, especially in the beginning, when the smartphone app was not optimized and super slow.

Survue alerts cyclists based on the speed, direction, and type of approaching vehicle. Alerts come through an onboard speaker in standalone mode or via visual and audio cues when connected to an app or bike computer, so you’re never caught off guard (assuming the radar won’t give you a false negative).

The Survue app lets you receive alerts on your phone and customize settings. It also allows you to retrieve recorded videos, giving you control over your data and ride settings.

The bright taillight adjusts its intensity to warn distracted drivers. It blinks when a vehicle is detected and auto-adjusts brightness based on ambient light to conserve battery.

Wrap Up

Let’s see if Survue can live up to all its promises. In their Kickstarter campaign, they had a goal of raising $5000, which they managed to do in just a few days. They now have over $10,000 in the bank.

The MSRP of Survue should be $329. That’s quite a lot, considering it is a complete newcomer to the market. For comparison, the Varia RCT715 costs $399.99. So, I am really curious to see if this radar will succeed.

Preview picture: Survue.ai