You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Did a search, found nuffin
Lordy that thing’s ugerrrrrly.
It’s not an ebike really, which is why I done it in the chat forum 😊
A motor, autopilot... the future is ours!
It’s not an ebike really..
..and not a tesla either....
Let’s start with a couple of clarifications. Industrial designer Kendall Toerner doesn’t work for Tesla and his Model B concept is not an e-bike
Stop wasting my time
Oh, clickbait me up 😂
Edit: oh it's STW forum royalty posting, well think first before you post luv.
Oh right Banana has a problem with me? how unfortunate 🙄
My first thought was a 'Riderless Bike' that would ensure no injuries when the driverless car failed to recognise it.
[i]Instead of turning handlebars and so turning the wheel, fold out handles would detect force. The wheel would then turn independently based on the force exerted, combined with input from a number of autopilot sensors.[/i]
So you lean left and it turns left*. Seems to make sense until you think about how you weight yourself on a bike. As you turn left you automatically lean to the left which puts more weight on the left of the bike. The sensors detect more pressure and turn left more sharply forcing you to put even more weight one the left handlebar. Repeat until crashed.
*This also applies to leaning right but all the references to left should be replaced by right
I was just jesting, no issue, I'm often a bit rubbish at humour
Did wonder how I could possibly be anything like royalty! 😘
Thank you WCA for discussing the issue in hand 🙂
DezB - I am but your humble page and servant
Autopilot is a key element and the bike would feature front, side and rear facing radar, cameras and ultrasonic detectors to pick up cars, potholes, bumps and other objects.
Handy for those pesky joggers.
Autopilot is a key element and the bike would feature front, side and rear facing radar, cameras and ultrasonic detectors to pick up cars, potholes, bumps and other objects.
The bike would be powered by two independent motors – one in each wheel with suspension integrated into the spokes.
“The bike has full autonomy to get the user out of harm’s way or guide them effortlessly to their destination,” writes Toerner.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously said that the firm won’t ever produce an electric motorbike because he doesn’t consider them safe. “I was hit by a truck and almost died on one when I was 17,” he explained.
As much as I hate to admit Musk is right about anything, he's right about this.
Even without the flaw WCA mentions I wonder how long it would take to adapt to the steering on that (and how much you'd be screwed hopping between it and a normal bike). It would be a laugh to try (with knee pads on) I guess
Given that you can ride a bike with no hands quote well I don't see a big advantage. But a bike that can autonomously swerve or brake without the rider being prepared to shift their weight doesn't inspire confidence. I'm not sure he's thought it through very well...
People have built a mental model that you turn the bars and the wheel turns, when it doesn't my mind would stop and I'd get off right there, begone devil bike and autonomous steering!
I'm confused. How would it handle counter-steering?
As far as I can tell, he doesn't understand the dynamics of bikes. He's built a futuristic looking model and dreamed up some potential technology that might be possible. He hasn't built a working prototype and doesn't seem to have asked himself whether the technology would actually be any improvement over simple mechanical systems.
It all makes sense in this inspiring piece of video tape
I’m confused. How would it handle counter-steering?
This. I'm guessing the designer isn't a bike rider.
I recall reading long ago that the F-16's control stick was originally going to follow a similar concept, where the stick didn't move but detected the forces being applied by a pilot's hand. It was unpopular enough that it got replaced with a more traditional stick. I think that even if software could counteract the problems mentioned by WCA above (presumably ride-by-wire could detect the amount the bike was leaning and adjust the steering inputs to account for the change in weight distribution) people would struggle to accept static handlebars.
Given that you can ride a bike with no hands quote well
show off
features an independently turning front wheel
I had a bike like that when I was a kid - undo a clamp and you could raise and lower the handlebars. Fail to do it up tightly enough and lo, independently turning front wheel. Happened once going down a hill near our house. Took weeks for the scabs to heal.
Yes, I've experienced the independent front wheel too. I answered the phone when I was nearly finished swapping handlebars and forgot to tighten the stem clamp bolts. The garden path ran alongside the fence, but had a kink in the middle. I got to the kink, turned the bars, but just went straight into the fence.