<aside> đź’ˇ Wireless protocol, user experience and prototype devices for the next generation of speed and safety alerts for self-balancing vehicles

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Note: This document is a very early draft

Author: François Simond (supercurio). Feedback welcome on Discord, Telegram, Forums.

Current state of things

In 2023, self balancing vehicles like EUC and OneWheel must alert riders running out of torque which results in an overlean crash. They use three mechanisms for alerting riders:

  1. Audio alerts from piezoelectric beeper or amplified speakers
  2. Tiltback or pushback
  3. Mobile application alarms, typically emitted via speakers or intercoms

What is the problem?

Beeps

While these mechanism were effective below 25km/h on the early vehicles, the new standard is alerting at 90km/h riders wearing motorcycle helmets.

At higher speeds, wind noise makes these alerts inaudible by masking them. The quieter helmets generate less wind noise but also dampen external sound heavily.

Today most riders say they can’t hear the beeps from their wheel when they occur.

They also report than riding environment influences heavily their ability to hear them. Windy days or quiet days, traffic, other rider’s music in group rides, road noise.

Tiltback

At low speeds, tiltback are generally appreciated both in a progressive or more sharp form.

At 70 or 90 km/h, what is tolerated becomes different:

  1. The pushback from the wind combined with the body lean required to maintain high speed makes progressive tiltbacks very hard to perceive until they reach a steep angle
  2. Riders tend to complain about sharper tiltbacks which are easier to notice, finding them more abrupt and scary due to how they affect their balance, especially when seated.