Garmin has announced it is acquiring iKubu, a privately-owned designer of computer vision and radar systems for the cycling market based in South Africa. The financial terms of the acquisition have not been released. iKubu is working on the development of a backpack unit that tells cyclists the speed and distance of vehicles that are approaching from behind. A low-energy radar mounted on the rear of the bike scans the road and the information is sent wirelessly to a device mounted on the bike's handlebars. It can detect rear-approaching cars at a distance of 140 meters. Most of iKubu's employees will join Garmin's existing subsidiary in South Africa, where they will “continue to operate primarily as a research and development center,” the company says.

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