Problem:

Reaching high levels of performance in endurance sports require a great deal of dedication in the form of considerable amounts of time performing at very precise effort thresholds. Across the globe athletes utilize high cost solutions such as power meter cranks or pedals coupled to expensive GPS cycling computers to monitor their performance in real time and keep a consistent effort. While this solution is great for athletes backed by corporations and enthusiasts willing to spend serious amounts of money, it can be outside the realm of what’s feasible for the average income of the Brazilian household. The proposed solution is focused on:

• There are no power meter cranks or pedals sold for under 400 US dollars as far as the authors have found.
• A cycling computer which can be used to visualize the gathered data in real time, as well as a map of the surroundings rarely sells for under 500 dollars.
• Hand signals for indicating direction can be hard to see at night, therefore, a turn signal can offer a interesting safety solution similar to what is found in cars and motorbikes. In cycling, however, even a relatively small device can cause drag, which in turns significantly increases the power output required to reach higher speeds.

Proposed Solution:

The design will be coupled to a fixed gear bike, this is due to the extra space provided by a 1 gear front crank, which can be lacking in modern 3 by systems.

• In order to get accurate readings of power a strain gauge will be used, even though there are solutions developed with load cells they often lack the precision strain gauges offer.
  • Since the sensors must spin with the pedals a battery and Bluetooth or Wi-Fi micro-controller will be added in order to transmit data from the pedals to the rest of the system.
  • The cranks will require some work done to strap the sensors since they require direct contact with conducting material.
• The data from the pedals and a GPS module will be used to display information in a cycle computer display on the handlebars, this information will include measurements such as current power output, total calories consumed, pedal rpm and path traveled on the map.
• The aerodynamic directional signal solution performs by adding a motor to a physical arrow which stays tucked in behind the seating tube for aero performance. When the turn signal is pressed the arrow physically points to the direction and lights up, allowing for the benefits of turn signals with minimal drawbacks.