Bicycle Speedometer Plus

Bicycle Speedometer Plus

Thomas Mechlinski, Jürgen Wübbelmann, Ralf Hagemann, Nikita Korovin, Amanda Abós Sanchez, Nichiket Goyal
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 14
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-2309-7.ch013
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Abstract

The European Project Semester program at the University of Applied Science Osnabrück deals mainly with engineering projects in different engineering domains. Developing a product based on complex technical requirements and economic concerns, such as cost-sensible development and marketing and environmentally-friendly design, are goals of a successful project during the one-semester internship at Osnabrück for a multicultural project team. In 2018, a team of four students received the task of developing a speedometer for bicycles with a brake light to enhance the rider's safety, especially in an urban environment. Besides the technical challenges, the team developed a marketing plan for the product. To the students, it was an excellent opportunity to understand the benefits and risks of working in a multicultural team and the necessity of following strict project management guidelines to finish a project as a team successfully.
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Project Charter And Requirement Analysis

The objective of the project was the development of a speedometer for a bicycle with some enhanced features such as a bike light, and the preparation of a Bluetooth connection with mobile devices so that navigational information could be displayed on the speedometer. The researchers (student team) were tasked with the challenge of integrating the results of a previous project into their conceptual design of the speedometer. The basic requirements given to the team at the beginning of the project are listed in Table 1.

Table 1.
Specific requirements of the project
FeatureExplanation
General features
SubjectTo develop a speedometer for a bicycle with some enhanced features
TeamThe members of the Speedometer Plus team
TimeframeFour months
LocationOsnabrück University of Applied Sciences
Specific features
Energy supplyA hub dynamo delivers the energy for the product. When it stops, an energy buffer must be able to provide energy to display data for 5 minutes without using any kind of battery.
Test benchA test bench has to be developed, which allows the usage of a hub dynamo during the development phase of the speedometer in the lab.
Electrical characteristicsAll required distinguishing characteristics of a hub dynamo, such as voltage over speed, voltage overload, etc., must be measured and documented.
ProtectionThe speedometer must be protected against overvoltage under every operating condition. The protection circuit shall be a standalone circuit and permanently fixed to the bicycle. As the dynamo provides dynamic voltage, the speedometer should work under every condition, and it should be protected against overloading.
SensorThe accelerating voltage of the hub dynamo shall be used to determine the speed and acceleration of the bicycle by detecting the frequency. No additional sensors shall be used.
ConfigurationThe user must (at the least) be able to configure the wheel diameter, the number of pole pairs of the hub dynamo, and the unit of speed (mph or km/h) and distance (miles or km). The configuration of the odometer and trip counters is optional.
Basic featuresThe speedometer must (at the least) be able to display the speed, the total distance (odometer), and one resettable trip recorder. Displaying average speed, trip time, and other information shall be foreseen
Plus features
Brake lightsThe “Bicycle Speedometer Plus” must (at the least) be able to control the rear light. In case of negative acceleration (as detected by the hub dynamo), the rear light shall flash. SAFETY: If the product is not mounted on the bike, the rear light must be supplied with power by the hub dynamo.
Connections to a smart deviceThe product shall provide the hardware for a Bluetooth LE interface to be able to connect the product with a smart device, e. g., to transfer navigational information (further enhancements).
Data retentionConfiguration data (see Feature “Configuration”) and operational data such as total distance (see Feature “Basic features”) must be stored persistently. Configuration data and total distance must be protected against corruption and the user should be able to reset the data anytime they wish to.
HousingThe product must have a housing.
MechanicsDuring operation, the product must be fixed on the handlebar of the bicycle. The housing must be removable. The protection class shall be at least IP65 (dust protected and water jet protected).
Electrical connectionsWhen the housing is fixed to the handlebar, the Speedometer Plus must be able to control the rear light. Without a Speedometer Plus being connected, the front and rear lights must be connected to the hub dynamo. SAFETY: In case of a malfunction, the lights shall turn on.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Data Retention: Storage of digital data for later use.

Speedometer: Device for measuring the relative speed between a vehicle and its ground or medium.

Supercapacitor: High-capacity capacitor with a capacitance value much higher than other capacitors, proper as a temporary power supply for devices with low energy consumption.

Hub Dynamo: Device for generating electric current from mechanical power on a bicycle’s hub.

Bluetooth LE: Technique for connecting computer devices wireless, LE means Low Energy.

Arduino: Single-board microcontroller and the accompanying software, based on Arduino technology.

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