If you ride a bike on public roads in 2026, you likely already have a relationship with the little blinking light on your seatpost that beeps when a car is about to ruin your day. The Garmin Varia is the gold standard of “don’t die” technology.
But a new startup called Luna Systems thinks a simple radar blip isn’t enough. They have announced the Luna Oculus, a new “AI-powered” safety system that doesn’t just sense cars—it sees them.
The Pitch: A Supercomputer for Your Commute
According to a new report from Digital Camera World, the Luna Oculus is a rear-facing camera system that uses computer vision to provide “never-before-seen levels of situational awareness”.
Instead of just telling you “something is coming,” the AI supposedly identifies exactly what is coming. It detects blind spots, categorizes vehicles, and even claims to identify pedestrians and—bafflingly—potholes.
It feeds this data in real-time to an app on your smartphone, which you are expected to mount to your handlebars like you’re a weekend Freed or an avid Pokémon GO player.
The Problem with “Phone-First” Safety
And therein lies the rub for the serious roadie. The Luna Oculus relies on a “companion smartphone app” to display its overlays and warnings.
For the commuter, this is fine. For the dedicated cyclist who has spent $400 on a Wahoo Roam specifically so they don’t have to look at their text messages while descending at 40mph, this is a hard sell. Unless Luna can pipe this data directly into a dedicated head unit (via ANT+ or Bluetooth), it’s going to face an uphill battle against the seamless integration of the Varia.