Virtual gearing in an autonomous electronic bicycle
An autonomous electronic bicycle comprises a frame, a wheel that can be powered by a first electronic motor, and a pedal assembly connected to a pedal motor. The pedal assembly is not mechanically connected to the wheel, but the autonomous electronic bicycle simulates a mechanical connection by powering the rear wheel proportional to the user's pedaling force. The autonomous electronic bicycle uses a virtual gear ratio based on the cadence of the rider, the current incline of the bicycle, and the current speed of the bicycle. The virtual gear ratio can be a ratio between a torque of the set of pedals and a torque of the wheel.
1. An autonomous electronic bicycle, comprising:
a frame;
a first electronic motor coupled to the frame and configured to spin a rear wheel;
a second electronic motor coupled to the frame and configured to spin a front wheel;
a set of pedals configured to produce a signal representative of a cadence of a rider; and
a controller configured to:
access information describing a current incline and a current speed of the bicycle;
identify a virtual gear based on the cadence of the rider, the current incline of the bicycle, and the current speed of the bicycle, the virtual gear representative of a ratio between a torque of the set of pedals and a torque of the rear wheel; and
autonomously drive the first electronic motor and the second electronic motor based on the cadence of the rider and based on the identified virtual gear.
2. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the virtual gear is selected from a set of pre-defined virtual gear ratios.
3. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 2 , wherein the selected virtual gear comprises a most efficient gear of the set of pre-defined virtual gear ratios based on the cadence of the rider, the current incline of the bicycle, and the current speed of the bicycle.
4. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the virtual gear represents an optimized ratio between the torque of the set of pedals and the torque of the rear wheel calculated based on a weighted combination of the cadence of the rider, the current incline of the bicycle, and the current speed of the bicycle.
5. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the set of pedals are configured to employ artificial pedaling resistance based on the identified virtual gear.
6. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 5 , wherein the artificial pedaling resistance is generated using regenerative braking, and wherein the regenerative braking is configured to recharge a power source of the bicycle.
7. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the virtual gear is identified based additionally on a current terrain on which the bicycle is located.
8. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 7 , wherein the current terrain is detected based on a sensor coupled to the frame of the bicycle.
9. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 7 , wherein the current terrain is detected based on a determined location of the bicycle.
10. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the virtual gear is identified based additionally on one or more characteristics of the rider.
11. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 10 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the rider include one or more of: a rider's weight, a rider's height, a rider's experience riding a bicycle, and a measure of strength of the rider.
12. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the virtual gear is identified based additionally on a preference of the rider.
13. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the virtual gear is identified based additionally on one or more local laws of a jurisdiction in which the bicycle is located.
14. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 1 , wherein the current speed and current incline of the bicycle are determined using one or more sensors coupled to the frame.
15. An autonomous electronic bicycle, comprising:
a frame;
an electronic motor coupled to the frame and configured to spin one or both of a rear wheel and a front wheel;
a set of pedals configured to produce a signal representative of a cadence of a rider; and
a controller configured to:
access information describing a current incline and a current speed of the bicycle; and
autonomously drive the electronic motor based on the cadence of the rider, the current incline of the bicycle, and the current speed of the bicycle.
16. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 15 , wherein autonomously driving the electronic motor based on the cadence of the rider, the current incline of the bicycle, and the current speed of the bicycle comprises driving the electronic motor based on a ratio between the torque of the set of pedals and the torque of the rear wheel.
17. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 15 , wherein the set of pedals are configured to employ artificial pedaling resistance based on the ratio between the torque of the set of pedals and the torque of the rear wheel.
18. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 17 , wherein the artificial pedaling resistance is generated using regenerative braking, and wherein the regenerative braking is configured to recharge a power source of the bicycle.
19. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 16 , wherein the ratio between the torque of the set of pedals and the torque of the rear wheel is identified based on a preference of the rider.
20. The autonomous electronic bicycle of claim 16 , wherein the ratio between the torque of the set of pedals and the torque of the rear wheel is identified based on one or more local laws of a jurisdiction in which the bicycle is located.