We would like to develop a system that measures the applied torque at a bicycle crank set. In contrast to current solutions, we want to be able to retrofit our system to existing crank sets, obviating the need to abandon parts that the bicyclist already owns. In principle, according to preliminary tests performed at the MMAE department, this can be done using sets of quite inexpensive strain gauges. However, being able to get accurate torque measurements will require some advanced processing of signals from the strain gauges. These signals can then be transmitted wirelessly to a bicycle computer like the Edge 705 that the global positioning system corporation Garmin released this spring. There is a defined wireless protocol, called ANT+Sport, which has been developed specifically for the purpose of transmitting exercise data, such as power output or heart rate, to small computers. Chipsets and development kits for this protocol are also available commercially. Therefore, our task will be to find an optimal configuration of strain gauges that will be attached to the crank set, and to develop an algorithm to process the strain gauge data in order to isolate a signal that is proportional to the applied torque. This signal will then be transmitted to the bicycle computer for display and storage (Semester Unknown) IPRO 325: Developing Affordable and Sustainable Energy Solutions for the World’s Rural Poor IPRO 325 Brochure F08
