SBIR Phase I: Developing a safer electric bicycle through a pedal-by-wire drivetrain, balance assist, and artificial intelligence

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目创造了变革性的电动自行车，重新定义了城市机动性，并增强了环境的可持续性。现代城市环境正在努力应对拥堵的道路、汽车尾气排放以及对骑自行车者安全的迫切担忧。该项目介绍了一款配备创新转向辅助装置和全电子传动系统的电动自行车。这种设计保证了更高的安全性、用户友好性和多功能性。这样的自行车迎合了从儿童到老年人的广泛用户，特别是那些可能会觉得骑自行车令人生畏或具有挑战性的人。自行车的先进转向不仅有助于机动，还有助于保持平衡。通过电子控制制动和加速，这款自行车具有牵引力控制、防抱死刹车和防止车把过度碰撞的保护措施。这些创新将减少自行车事故，促进更健康的生活方式，减轻对环境的影响，并刺激国内制造业。最终目标是，在这个社会里，骑自行车不仅仅是一项运动或爱好，而是一种更安全、更环保的日常生活中流行的交通方式。该项目提出了一种创新的方法：将机器人启发的感知、驱动和控制相结合，设计出一种革命性的日常使用电动自行车。自行车的核心是在每个轮子上安装一个电动马达，一个控制平衡的转向马达，以及一个用来捕捉骑车人施加的能量的踏板发电机。全电动传动系统提供了对制动和加速的精心控制，通过牵引力控制和防抱死制动提高了安全性。主动转向机制，加上平衡传感器，帮助骑手保持平衡，这是老年用户特别关心的问题。这项研究的主要技术目标是开发一种与人类骑手相辅相成的平衡辅助系统，一个用户友好的踏板发电机界面，以及一个坚固的电子传动系统。通过全面的模拟、台架测试和真实世界的自行车原型测试，该项目寻求验证软件定义自行车的转型潜力和技术可行性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project creates transformative electric bicycles, redefining urban mobility and enhancing environmental sustainability. Modern urban environments grapple with congested roads, car exhaust emissions, and pressing concerns about cyclist safety. This project introduces an electric bicycle equipped with innovative steering assistance and an all-electronic drivetrain. This design promises enhanced safety, user-friendliness, and versatility. Such a bicycle caters to a wide range of users, from children to seniors, especially those who might find cycling intimidating or challenging. The bicycle's advanced steering not only aids in maneuvering but also helps maintain balance. By electronically managing both braking and acceleration, the bicycle incorporates features of traction control, anti-lock brakes, and safeguards against over-the-handlebar crashes. These innovations are poised to decrease bicycling accidents, promote healthier lifestyles, mitigate environmental impacts, and stimulate domestic manufacturing. The end goal is a society where cycling is not just a sport or hobby, but a safer, greener mode of transport popular in daily life.This project sets forth an innovative approach: blending robotics-inspired sensing, actuation, and control to engineer a revolutionary electric bicycle for daily use. At its core, the bicycle incorporates an electric motor in each wheel, a steering motor to control balance, and a pedal generator to capture the rider's exerted energy. The completely electric drivetrain provides meticulous control over braking and acceleration, improving safety with traction control and anti-lock brakes. An active steering mechanism, augmented by balance sensors, helps the rider balance, a particular concern for older users. The primary technical objectives of this research are to develop a balance assist system that complements human riders, a user-friendly interface for the pedal generator, and a robust electronic drivetrain. Through comprehensive simulations, bench tests, and real-world bicycle prototype testing, the project seeks to validate the transformative potential and technical feasibility of a software-defined bicycle.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.