Group 4

The purpose of this assignment was to come up with a research topic within the emerging research field of ubiquitous computing and develop a prototype that addresses some of its major issues. For this purpose we were supposed to use phidgets.

The goal with our project is to create a prototype of a Smart Bike. The Smart Bike will make biking more comfortable, it will make the biking trip more interesting and it will make the bike harder to steal.

The assignment also included writing code to control the phidgets in the Smart Bike.

To present the results of the assignment a homepage should be created containing an introduction to the research topic, specifications for the system created, pictures of the physical model and a video describing how the end product works.

Novelty & Impact
Some of the functions that we plan to have on the Smart Bike already exists, like measuring speed and distance. GPS-tracking is also available for bikes, although it’s not as common as the measuring of speed and distance. The novelty of the Smart Bike is the RFID-lock and the heating of the saddle.

Since the parts needed to build a Smart Bike already exists and becomes cheaper as time passes by, we believe that all bikes will ha smart functions in the future. Just like all new cars today have a GPS-system, so will all bikes have RFID-locks and saddle heating (in parts of the world where it is actually cold). Measuring speed, distance, calories burnt etc. will be standard on all new bikes.

Related Works
Former racing cyclist Chris Boardman created a design for an intelligent bike in 2009 that had an “unbreakable” lock, a solar-panel powered help engine, integrated music system, spokeless wheels and a lightweight carbon fiber frame that makes the bike more aerodynamic.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/6010317/Intelligent-bicycle-of-the-future-unveiled.html

Apple is working on a bike that can monitor speed, distance, time, altitude, elevation, incline, decline, heart rate, power, derailleur setting, cadence, wind speed, path completed, expected future path, heart rate, power, and pace.
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/08/apple-introduces-us-to-the-smart-bike.html

Conceptual Design
The RFID-lock will be implemented using a RFID-reader and RFID-tags which will control a servomotor to lock and unlock the bike. The lock will also have an accelerometer to measure the movement of the lock. If the bike is locked, than the lock shouldn’t move, and if it is, than an alarm will sound as someone is most likely trying to steal the bike.

The heating of the saddle will be implemented using a shoe heater (used in skishoes) connected to a relay. The heating will activate automatically when you sit on the saddle, using a pressure sensor, if the temperature is lower than e.g. 5 degrees. The temperature will be measured with a thermometer.

To measure the speed and therefor also the distance we will use a magnetic sensor that measures the number of turns the wheel does. If you know the turns of the wheel during a certain amount of time, and the size of the wheel, you can calculate the speed and the distance.

The collected data will be displayed on a LCD-screen.

The Smart Bike has a lot of functions, although some are standard functions on motorcycles. Our Smart Bike has blinkers that you control with small, easily accessible buttons on each bike handle. These buttons also controls the automatic stand, so that if you press both buttons at the same time while the bike is standing still, the stand will go down or up, depending on its current position.

The Smart Bike has a saddle that will heat itself up if it’s cold outside or if the user activates the heater from the remote application. To make sure the heating doesn’t turn on if it’s warm outside; the Smart Bike comes with a thermometer. It also comes with a pressure sensor so that the bike knows when someone is sitting on the saddle.

To measure speed the Smart Bike uses a magnetic sensor on the wheel with measures how many times the wheel spins and the time between the spins, and knowing the size of the wheel you can calculate the speed and the distance the bike has traveled since the beginning of the ride. When the bike is in motion the front and backlights will turn on automatically, if it’s dark outside. The needs for the lights are measured by a light sensor.

The Smart Bike has an electronic lock controlled by an RFID-reader and RFID-tag. The user can unlock and lock the bike with the RFID-tag. While the bike is locked, the alarm will go off if the bike is moved. The movements are measured with an acceleration sensor. Too much movement will trigger the alarm, and the alarm can be turned off with the RFID-tag.

Information from the sensors will be displayed either on an LCD-screen on the handles of the bike or on the remote application. The remote application is supposed to be on a cellphone, and the Smart Bike is equipped with a stand for cellphones. With the cellphone running the remote application the user can both unlock the bike, control the functions of the heating in the saddle, and see speed, distance, time, GPS-position. Even when away from the bike, the remote application can warn the user if the alarm on the bike has gone off.

We have had some troubles with implementing our ideas. One problem was that we could find a working pressure sensor, so we used a light sensor instead although they don’t work the same. We also couldn’t find a working LCD-display and had to borrow one from another group during the demo and during the recording of the film.

We found a children’s bike we could use to implement our functions on, but since the phidgets are relatively large and needs to be connected to a computer, the bike isn’t able the go anywhere and if we would take it outside, the phidgets would break because of the rain and the snow. Also, the bike became very ugly and vulnerable, with all the cables and sensors on it. A true ubiquitous bike would have all the sensors and cables hidden.

That is one of the current issues with ubiquitous computing today. Sensors and computers are not small enough to be invisible, and if they are, they are too expensive for most people to buy. Sensors and computers in a bike also have to be very durable, resisting rain, snow, cold and heat as well as crashes. We have tried to solve this by hiding as many of the cables and sensors as we could, but with little success.

In conclusion our prototype is just that, a prototype, and it will take a lot of work and a lot of better resources before you could ride the Smart Bike to school. Many of the functions we have implemented exist in one form or another, but always as extra accessories to the bike. In a real Smart Bike all these functions will have to be integrated, making them a part of the design and thus more invisible than they are now.