BRAKING, SUSPENSION AND BEYOND….
Talking of predictive, automatic and wireless tech as we were above, SRAM’s Rockshox Flight Attendant system was premiered at Sea Otter 2021 and might just start to make its way onto e-bikes in 2022. In the manufacturer’s words Flight Attendant is ‘The only automatic suspension system that listens to the rider and responds in real-time. Flight Attendant uses a suite of sensors to read rider and terrain inputs to anticipate the perfect suspension position—enabling you to ride faster, ride longer, and spend less energy adjusting your suspension and more time focusing on what matters most: the unbridled joy of riding.’
Whilst further development of Bosch’s ABS anti-lock, electronically monitored braking looks like it might take a back seat for a little while (the new Smart system is not compatible with the current version), Italian firm Blubrake have been developing an ABS system aimed specifically at speed pedelecs and e-cargo bikes, where quick and safe deceleration is extra important – and Blubrake is much less visually obtrusive than the Bosch system. Whilst still a premium feature, you may start to see it on more and more e-bikes in 2022.
Note Shimano also has a patent on an ABS braking system but as yet no actual product, but clearly the race for the most effective system is on…
Arguably though, it is e-scooters – where safety concerns, especially in their interactions with vehicles and pedestrians around them are currently constantly in the news – that stand to benefit most from automated ‘safety’ features. If city authorities with safety worries about e-scooters can see the manufacturers taking steps to make the vehicles safer, they are clearly more likely to encourage them. Here’s a few examples pioneered in 2021 that you might see more of in 2022 (and undoubtedly there will be more new developments too):
‘Unagi’s new electric scooter can tell you when you’re approaching a stop sign or a giant pothole’ say the high-end e-scooter manufacturer. The Model Eleven e-scooter boasts ‘object detection’ thanks to built-in camera and sensors. Apparently ‘While the scooter isn’t autonomous, a “longer-term vision” is to use all the information from the camera and sensor to prompt the scooter to take over and brake, or slow down, in dangerous situations. But it’s not there yet.’
MIT spin-off Superpedestrian are owners of e-scooter rental company Link. Superpedestrian unveiled their military sounding system of ‘Pedestrian Defense’ in 2021 and you could well see more of it in 2022. The company hails it as ‘a breakthrough in preventing sidewalk riding and other unsafe scooter behaviour.’ Apparently ’The new system doesn’t just detect unsafe behaviours, such as riding on the pavement, but also puts a stop to them in real-time in order to prevent serious injuries.’
A real coup would be share e-scooters that park themselves, and although the Spin S-200 system was publicised at the start of 2021, things have gone quiet since. But could 2022 be the year it starts to make an impact in the real world?
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