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Valour bicycle has proximity sensor

A bicycle with: * simple carbon fiber frame with carbon nanotubes * accelerometer to detect potholes and fine-scale motion * GPS and speed sensor to track position, so bike can tell where you are on a route * smartphone app with which you choose a route, and for statistics display (speed, etc) * bluetooth communication between phone and electronics in the bike * hub dynamo to power the electronics * leds on handlebar tell you when to turn (turn-by-turn navigation) * ultrasound sensor in bike frame detects cars and obstacles behind and to the left and right * handlebar vibrates to alert you if something is within a box that extends 10 feet behind you and 4 feet to left or right * accelerometers detect potholes * Vanhawks servers collect info about the routes you and other riders take * Vanhawks builds up database of potholes, closed lanes, blocked roads, elevation profiles, traffic * If a bike is reported stolen, and another Vanhawks bike travels within the stolen bike's bluetooth range, the stolen bike communicates with the second bike to aid recovery * fixie model about $1000 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1931822269/vanhawks-valour-first-ever-connected-carbon-fibre The problems I anticipate: * a proximity sensor with only a 10 foot range seems way too limited. isn't a mirror more effective? * can their sensor system distinguish between a car 3 feet away and a large cyclist 3 feet away? * for turn notification, who watches their handlebars while bicycling in the city? * handlebar vibrations might be imperceptible when biking on a rough or potholed road * what happens when the GPS data is wrong by 50 feet? * can system tell the difference between a cyclist on a separated bike trail and a cyclist on an adjacent road, 10 feet away? * how good is their traffic data? * how is privacy of your route info safeguarded?
paulheckbert
2014-05-17 00:25:10
Why carbon fiber? Why not steel or aluminium frames, both of which can be made from recycled material and both of which are can easily be recycled. That should also help get the price point down. I like the idea of dyno hubs for powering lighting, but the description makes it sound like there are more electronics than spy drone. Sorry, while many people do add on GPS and the like, many more do not want or need such electronics. Fixie? I have no intrinsic problem with that, but if you drop the electronics, except for safety lighting and dyno hub, you could probably do an internal multi-gear for the same price point and attract more riders. I am just one voice, but that's my opinion.
pghdragonman
2014-05-17 14:52:59
Sounds very much like a project that Terry Bruce was noodling about last year.
vannever
2014-05-17 17:56:03