These super-dependable brakes reportedly offer 99.999999999997 per cent reliability and are able to apply the brakes within 250 milliseconds of being activated — half the time it takes to blink.
The braking technology is actually being designed primarily for use in rail systems but, since putting unfounded brake technology on full-sized trains is all sorts of a bad idea, Professor Holger Hermanns created this system as a small scale test. He explained in a press release, “Wireless networks are never a fail-safe method. That’s a fact that’s based on a technological background.”
Instead of a brake lever, the rider squeezes the rubber handlebar grip, activating a pressure sensor. This activates the cigarette-pack-sized sending unit on the handlebars, transmitting the Stop command to an actuator located on the front fork that (obviously) activates the disc brake. A series of redundant sensors located on the fork will provide back up signal to actuator should the primary fork-mounted sensor fail. It’s still in the prototype stage (hence the decidedly boxy appearance) but researchers hope to improve its reaction time and add an anti-lock function in the coming revs.
It’s not so much the wireless signal failing that worries me. I mean, I’m glad they’re got the failure rate so ludicriously low and all but I’d be much more concerned with the AA powering the sending unit suddenly deciding that it’s out of juice as I crest the top of a large hill. Hopefully, this technology will actually make it to market to give me something to worry about.
[MPI-SWS via Alpha Galileo Foundation via Gizmag]
Just This Guy ...
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 3:32 PMGonna be very difficult to judge braking power without some kind of haptic feedback though.
You really need to “feel” the pressure you’re applying otherwise, you’re likely to over brake or under brake.
Well, that’s what I reckon anyway.
Probably not an issue on a train though for all i know.
history
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 7:02 AMThe actual bike you are on will slow down, or in which case it doesnt, point comes across nonetheless.
Ammusionist
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 3:55 PMPlease ensure your phone and all wireless devices are turned off before boarding the…er… bike!
Martin
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 3:56 PMWHY?
what is wrong with a cable, never fails, doesnt require recharging.
greg253d
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 4:28 PMexactly, lets replace a cable with batteries, sensors, motors and god knows what else for a simple cable pully system
Mike
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 4:39 PMThat’s pretty much my worry, what happens when the batteries run out?
Can you apply variable braking pressure? That’s doable, dependant on the pressure sensors, but definitely a must too.
Cflow
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 8:51 PM…surely it can be charged by pedalling?
Jordan
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 3:21 AMI just assumed inductive charging with an already present rotation
WTF
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 9:05 AMQuote: since putting unfounded brake technology on full-sized trains is all sorts of a bad idea, Professor Holger Hermanns created this system as a small scale test. End quote.
Test, people. Read, pay attention, retain information. It’s called learning.
Matt L
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 4:51 PMYour statement “cable, never fails” is invalid. All kinds of issues can happen from cabled brakes, which is why much of my childhood was spent using my foot as a brake, I’d pull my leg back, and put my foot on the back wheel, putting pressure onto the tyre as the bike frame stabilized my foot. Worked well… Very dangerous in retrospect tho
EckyThump
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 4:40 PMI’m surprised this hasn’t been done before now, “Just This Guy” mentions haptic feedback and that would be an issue, but Haptics is not a new field, I’m sure it could be adapted to it without too much effort. Would be nice for the more extravagant motor bikes that are striving for that pure no cables look! #]
red t-rex
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 5:33 PMIf it ain’t broke then don’t fix it. Another case of making something that is simple so much more complicated.
Matt
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 6:04 PMI wonder how easy they will be to hack?..
Franz
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 10:22 PMUnexpected braking gets you killed.
Riding a bike on roads made for cars already gets everybody killed, so this just compounds the problem of cyclists.
history
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 7:05 AMOr the problem of car drivers, for which your argument provided no different case of argument.
Waynevanwijk
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 9:23 AMOr more aptly, the problem of one road for bikes and cars. Give me bike lanes that are not shared with cars or pedestrians and no one gets hurt (until my wifi brakes fail).
Lyndon
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 7:06 AMI think people are missing the point, the article states this is a ‘small scale test’ and this is being ‘designed primarily for rail systems’
Harrison
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 8:49 PMi can see one issue…what happens if the system is hacked? I could totally see someone riding past a man with his phone out, the man activates an app to hack the bike causing the rider to fly over the handlebars! aha! no but seriously, a train randomly stopping due to hackers would cause chaos everywhere…