Automatic gearbox for bike on iPhone
We often talk about how smartphones are constantly changing the world around us. And here is another interesting area of our life that can be improved by smartphones - bicycles. New Scientist writes that a new automatic transmission for them has been implemented using a smartphone.
We all know how this is done now - manually and in fact “by wire”. The system presented today uses a smartphone to calculate the optimal transmission for the current pedal speed and then wirelessly transmits this data to the switching mechanism. In addition, it uses the accelerometer of the phone to switch down when stopped, and in the future it can also use GPS to select the correct gear in the upcoming climb or descent.
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For the sake of justice, developers note that automatic transmissions for bicycles already exist, but they use mechanical connections and therefore wear out quickly. The new method of wireless signal transmission and control eliminates such problems, and in addition, through the use of the computing power of a smartphone, it can do it in a more meaningful way.
The gearbox, developed by Mark Wilson of Cambridge Consultants Limited, uses the existing battery switching mechanism (such as, for example, Shimano from Japan). It connects via Bluetooth to the iPhone, in which the application is running, receiving commands from an already existing console, reconfigured to work with a wireless connection. In addition, there is a magnetic sensor on the pedals and a speed sensor on the wheel. Together, they calculate the right gear and can automatically turn on the right one. True, for each cyclist you need a small adjustment - you need to drive some distance and set the maximum and minimum level of rotation of the pedals at which you feel comfortable.
For the last two months, the CCL has been conducting system tests in a real situation, and according to tester reviews, the result is good and the gearbox is not mistaken at all.
In the near future, the company plans to tie the choice of gears to geolocation and switch in advance, for example, before climbing a hill. And also develop an anti-lock system for the bike - also based on the iPhone.
We all know how this is done now - manually and in fact “by wire”. The system presented today uses a smartphone to calculate the optimal transmission for the current pedal speed and then wirelessly transmits this data to the switching mechanism. In addition, it uses the accelerometer of the phone to switch down when stopped, and in the future it can also use GPS to select the correct gear in the upcoming climb or descent.
')
For the sake of justice, developers note that automatic transmissions for bicycles already exist, but they use mechanical connections and therefore wear out quickly. The new method of wireless signal transmission and control eliminates such problems, and in addition, through the use of the computing power of a smartphone, it can do it in a more meaningful way.
The gearbox, developed by Mark Wilson of Cambridge Consultants Limited, uses the existing battery switching mechanism (such as, for example, Shimano from Japan). It connects via Bluetooth to the iPhone, in which the application is running, receiving commands from an already existing console, reconfigured to work with a wireless connection. In addition, there is a magnetic sensor on the pedals and a speed sensor on the wheel. Together, they calculate the right gear and can automatically turn on the right one. True, for each cyclist you need a small adjustment - you need to drive some distance and set the maximum and minimum level of rotation of the pedals at which you feel comfortable.
For the last two months, the CCL has been conducting system tests in a real situation, and according to tester reviews, the result is good and the gearbox is not mistaken at all.
In the near future, the company plans to tie the choice of gears to geolocation and switch in advance, for example, before climbing a hill. And also develop an anti-lock system for the bike - also based on the iPhone.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/158265/
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