Making Mechelen Safer for Cyclists with AI: A Pilot with XenomatiX

Making Mechelen Safer for Cyclists with AI: A Pilot with XenomatiX

The City of Mechelen recently launched an innovation challenge calling on companies to develop ideas that improve cycling safety and comfort in public spaces.

The initiative took the form of a public innovation procurement, where selected participants received funding to develop and test their concepts in real-world conditions. In return the selected participants committed to test a novel solution that was not out on the market yet.

One of the chosen participants was XenomatiX, a Belgian scale-up that developed an advanced solution based on lidar and camera technology to map the condition of road, cycling and sidewalk infrastructure with high precision.

For this experiment, the XenoBike was used for the first time in a city environment, and a novel algorithm was implemented to qualify the safety over the full width of the cycle lane, including the width itself.

Innovation Through Collaboration: Citcom.ai & Mechelen as a Testbed

Mechelen is part of the Citcom.ai consortium and acts as a Testing and Experimentation Facility (TEF) within that network.

This means the city actively opens its physical infrastructure, data, and legal frameworks to innovators, making it easier to pilot cutting-edge technologies in an urban environment.

To attract solutions that could directly benefit the city’s cycling network, Mechelen issued an open call for AI-driven products that improve cycling safety in the public domain.

Thanks to the funding provided, selected companies could test their novel solutions under real-life conditions, without incurring major risks or costs

XenomatiX: Mapping 50 km of Strategic Cycling Routes

As part of their pilot, XenomatiX mapped over 50 kilometers of Mechelen’s bike paths using their precision technology of the XenoBike.

These routes were not chosen randomly: they focused on so-called ‘wijkroutes’ - key cycling arteries that the city promotes as preferred entryways for cyclists coming from the surrounding municipalities.

The insights gathered will help the city identify priority areas for maintenance or upgrades, ensuring that infrastructure investments are targeted and effective.

This project allowed us to implement and launch the new ‘bikelane-wide’ safety-and-comfort measure on city and city-entry routes. The project demonstrates the value of this new asset management approach.

A First Step Toward a Smarter City

This was Mechelen’s first time organizing an innovation challenge of this kind, and the experience offers valuable lessons for future initiatives — not just in mobility, but in other urban domains as well.

By positioning itself as an open and supportive test environment, the city strengthens its role as a magnet for innovation.

It’s a win-win: innovators gain real-world validation, and the city benefits from fresh, tech-driven solutions to complex challenges; says Benjamin Vermeulen, City of Mechelen

Want to know more about how Mechelen supports urban innovation through Citcom.ai? Stay tuned for upcoming projects and open calls.