Dutch innovators at TU Delft University have teamed up with Gazelle bikes to develop a prototype e-bike that has the technology to stop riders from falling.
The 'steering assist' intervenes when it senses the bike is about to topple at speeds over 4km/h, with intelligent control keeping the bike stable and upright. Dr Arend Schwab of TU Delft told electrive.com: “It’s actually technically quite simple. You need a sensor that detects when the bike is falling over, a motor that can adjust the steering and a processor to control the motor. The hardest part is finding the right algorithms for the processor, which was where our scientific research into bicycle stability proved enormously important."
TU Delft have been researching how and when bikes do and don't fall over for the past 15 years, and this prototype e-bike will go through plenty more practical tests before potential production versions can be rolled out. TU Delft and Gazelle predict that smart tech like steering assist will become commonplace on the bikes of the future, and will help to address the increase in accidents suffered by the elderly on electric bikes since they've become more popular.
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