Staex & Boreal Bikes: A New Journey Towards Ground Truth Data

Capy B.
2 days ago
2 min read

Cities are living systems. They grow, change, and adapt every day. To manage this evolution, one essential resource stands above all: reliable ground truth data—the kind of data that reflects what is really happening on the streets, in real time.

That’s the goal of the new collaboration between Staex and Boreal Bikes.

Boreal Bikes are more than just bicycles—they are mobile data platforms. Equipped with advanced sensors and devices, these bikes collect spatial and environmental data that helps cities and organizations gain a deeper understanding of urban life. Already active in the Netherlands, Germany, the Baltics, and the Nordics, Boreal Bikes are helping decision-makers better plan for the future.

Staex and Borealbikes teams pose in Berlin with blue Boreal bike; Staex member on bike smiles. Phone shows cycling data. Logos: Borealbikes, Staex. — *Staex and Borealbikes teams come together in Berlin for a joint test of ground truth data collection. Photo: © Elvina Kulinicenko / Staex*

What makes this data special?

The information gathered by Boreal Bikes is not just abstract numbers. It’s ground truth data—a term used to describe data that is directly measured from the real world, rather than estimated or simulated. For municipalities, this kind of data is invaluable.

For example:

Traffic flow monitoring: Bikes can detect congestion hotspots, helping cities improve traffic light timing or redesign busy intersections.
Air quality insights: Sensors can map pollution levels street by street, supporting healthier urban planning.
Infrastructure condition checks: Vibrations or road-surface data can show where repairs are most urgently needed.
Safe mobility planning: Ground truth insights help identify where additional bike lanes, crosswalks, or safety measures are required.

How Staex fits in

Paksy and Louis stand beside a tech-laden blue bike indoors. Large windows show trees outside. They both smile, creating a positive mood. — *Louis-Perpinan Huard, CEO & Founder of BB Boreal Bikes GmbH, and Paksy Plackis-Cheng, CSO & Co-Founder of Staex, sharing a smile next to Boreal’s innovative smart bike.* Photo: © Elvina Kulinicenko / Staex

In this first joint setup, Staex connected Boreal Bikes’ devices to the Staex public network. Here, the focus was on testing how data can be made trusted, routed, processed, and managed securely. By this, the data can be easily trusted by city authorities, data consumers, and other stakeholders in a smart city environment.

The sensor data—recorded in .mcap format—was processed using ROS2 (Robot Operating System, commonly used in robotics for data handling) and MQTT (a lightweight protocol for transmitting messages between devices). The results were then displayed on a dashboard, showing how raw sensor streams can be transformed into reliable, actionable insights.

The outcome: a clear demonstration that Boreal’s data is more than just raw signals—it is trustworthy ground truth data, ready to support real-world city decisions.

Looking ahead

Woman riding a blue bike with tech equipment, wearing a gray helmet and smiling. She's on a street with parked cars, trees, and buildings. — *Nahyeon Kim, Staex' Marketing intern, test-rides the sensor-loaded Boreal bike through Berlin.* Photo: © Elvina Kulinicenko / Staex

This partnership is a first step toward Staex’s vision: cities that are smarter, more sustainable, and more human-centered, built on trustworthy data.

Our collaboration with Boreal Bikes shows what’s possible when mobility and data integrity intersect. Together, we are opening new paths toward smart mobility, better planning, and healthier urban life. And this is only the beginning.