Prototype power meter measures braking forces
By combining braking information with track information, racers will be able to alter technique to help improve performance.
The Power Brake Meter is designed to constantly record your braking data. It uses sensors at the front and rear of the bike to track total braking power, as well as information from the individual wheels.
The entire prototype was built with a budget of 3k. At that price, they couldn’t afford to go wireless. The brake meter currently records data onto an SD drive, which is then run through two different programs, before being entered into MatLab.
This information can be then overlaid onto helmet cam footage to provide riders with detailed insight into where and how hard they’re braking.
With the braking meter equipment installed, this bike weighs roughly 17kg or 37 lbs. Yikes.
Developed by Ph.D. student Matt Miller, the device works like a regular cranked based power meter, except it’s backward. When he developed the first prototype, pictured here, he had no idea what sort of forces to expect so they overbuilt it.
Matt was unsure of how high the braking forces might be in cycling, so he overbuilt his original prototype. His subsequent designs are much sleeker.
The successive prototypes are much sleeker, such as this new rotor based design which stores the internals in a carbon box nestled between the hub and spokes. Another version is also in the works that is similar to a two-piece floating rotor.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf8aUEHsZbE
As an avid enthusiast and high-level racer, Matt is excited about sharing this device with World Cup Level racers and sharing the technology with consumers. He’s not sure if he plans to sell the technology to a company, or branch out and develop his own brand, but we wish him the best of luck regardless.
For more info, visit Massey University.
This article is part of Mtbr’s coverage of the 2016 Interbike trade show in Las Vegas. For more from Interbike CLICK HERE.
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