Bicycles

Samsung Smart Bike is wired to ride

Samsung Smart Bike is wired to ride
The Samsung Smart Bike uses a smartphone – and an Arduino module – as its brains
The Samsung Smart Bike uses a smartphone – and an Arduino module – as its brains
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The Samsung Smart Bike uses a smartphone – and an Arduino module – as its brains
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The Samsung Smart Bike uses a smartphone – and an Arduino module – as its brains
The Samsung Smart Bike was designed by Italian frame-builder Giovanni Pelizzoli and student Alice Biotti
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The Samsung Smart Bike was designed by Italian frame-builder Giovanni Pelizzoli and student Alice Biotti

What do you call a bicycle that doesn't have a motor, but is packed with electronic features? Well, the emerging term seems to be "smart bike." We've already seen one called the Valour, but now there's a new one-off known as the Samsung Smart Bike. Above all else, it's designed to make bicycle commuting safer.

The Samsung Smart Bike was designed by Italian frame-builder Giovanni Pelizzoli and student Alice Biotti. It was created through the Samsung Maestros Academy, an online platform in which Italians who are masters in their field (such as Pelizzoli) teach their skills to promising up-and-comers (such as Biotti).

The aluminum frame, first of all, features curved tubes designed to soak up some of the vibrations caused by riding on rough city streets.

The Samsung Smart Bike was designed by Italian frame-builder Giovanni Pelizzoli and student Alice Biotti
The Samsung Smart Bike was designed by Italian frame-builder Giovanni Pelizzoli and student Alice Biotti

Located between the seat stays of that frame is a rearview camera, that streams a live video feed to a handlebar-mounted Samsung smartphone. There are also four lasers built into the frame, that project a bike lane onto the road on either side of the bike, as it's moving. Those lasers automatically come on as ambient light levels drop, as detected by the smartphone.

Additionally, an app on the phone uses GPS to make a note of routes that are often traveled by the cyclist. It then offers the option of notifying city officials of those routes, with the suggestion that they add officially-designated bicycle lanes.

The frame also houses a battery, an Arduino module, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. Perhaps a little surprisingly, though, the bike lacks a plain old headlight or tail light.

The Samsung Smart Bike made its public debut in April, at Milan Design Week. There's no word on any plans for commercialization, but you can see more of the prototype in the video below.

Source: Samsung Maestros Academy

Samsung Smart Bike

4 comments
4 comments
zevulon
a heavy tank bike with cruiser geometery with very stable steering and a desire to ride straight is the safest possible bike.
why? it 1) forces you to go slow, speed causes accidents and exacerbates the injuries from them
2) upright bike geometery force the riders head up and back up. this gives the rider a bigger field of view, as a rider in a more prone racing position gets less and less view of their sides. most accidents come from the sides or when turning
3) upright riding position results in slower riding.
4) a bike steering straight with sluggish steering discourages fast steering and this is a much safer riding style. twitchy steering bicycles are dangerous and also encouraging fast changing of direction.
5) bigger wheels make steering more sluggish AND provide more stability in potholes, making the ride not only more comfortable but protecting the riders control over the steering as the bike bumps out of the pothole. a big wheel doesn't 'fall into the pothole' as much and can prevent fall downs as a result of hitting a pothole or other large bump. bigger wheels provide more breaking surface as well.
6) TIRES. wide tires are far safer than narrow tires and they slip out far less than narrow tires and also allow for much quicker more reliable stopping power as the contact patch
technology is mostly awesome, but unfortunately it has NOTHING to do with safety when it comes to a bicycle.
the laser 'bike lanes' thing is old. i've seen new york riders with it. it's a distraction to the rider and is supposed to be a warning to pedestrians. it does nothing, it's not particularly visible either, total nonsense.
the most valuable saftey technology would be a simple BEEPING DEVICE THAT AUTOMATICALLY BEEPS WHEN YOU GO ABOVE 18 MILES AN HOUR. TRAVELLING OVER 18 MILES AN HOUR , ESPECIALLY HEADING INTO A CROSSING SECTION, OR A TURN, OR DOWNHILL IS VERY DANGEROUS.
Fronty
Is that a repainted axis camera on the rear seat stays?
RXTR
Don't like it, and would not consider buying it either - This bike is not nearly as well designed or equipped as many other bikes already on the market - It is likely only here as Samsung is backing this - Check out a Vanmoof Bike from Holland instead : http://vanmoof.com/ At least they have headlights and tailights integrated, as well as optional fenders, racks, paint schemes, and even ped-elec power... and several choices of final drive styles...
TheSplund
If they wanted to soak up road vibrations with some curved tubing then why not start at the most obvious point - the front fork. That fork isn't anyway near curved enough to absorb vibrations like the old steel forks could (though I appreciate it's an ally frame). Also, the deeper the section a wheel is then the less vertically compliant they are (though they do look prettier and will no doubt attract more buyers); at least they went for a decent spoke lacing which does help matters. As for safety? get rd of the distracting phone up front.