BELFAST-based technology firm See.Sense, which has developed a smart bike light which uses sensory technology to provide cyclists with a situation-sensitive light, has secured one of the top awards in the inaugural Economic Disruptor of the Year Awards in London, an initiative recognising the companies which are rewriting the rules, the game-changers that are redefining the marketplace.
It won the Scotland/Northern Ireland regional category, chose from more than 100 nominations from across the UK by a judging panel which included Andrew Neil, chairman of The Spectator; Rory Sutherland, executive creative director at Ogilvy; Gordon Black, former chairman of Peter Black Holdings; John Caudwell, founder of Phones4U and senior representatives from keynote sponsor Julius Baer.
The See.Sense device displays a stronger beam of light when going around a corner. This data is then fed back to other See.Sense users. The platform is therefore constantly reacting to the cyclist’s surroundings and feeding back information on road quality and situation, best routes, and so on.
The app also has further potential for disruption – the information captured could provide city planners with a more accurate picture for fixing roads and improving safety. See.Sense has already worked with city planners in Dublin and Manchester, for example, on trials to improve road safety.
Cindy Yu, broadcast editor of The Spectator, said: "The fact that See.Sense’s bike light can detect road quality just through the vibration of the bike – I think it’s incredible. It fits into one small device, sells at a commercially accessible price, and the data it collects has great potential to be mined. It’s small and clever."
