Where will bike design/technology be in 20/30 years time

[Colin_P]

Already out there, as a "wearable device". Just battery life is somewhat limited.

Compare say a Nokia 3310 and any of the current smartphones

Battery was replacable, now sealed in.
Battery life between charges, days now a day. Smaller battery, but more is being asked of it, so it doesn't last as long.

Solve that last part first, before placing any electronic system into a bike build.

I'm not thinking of a wearable device although a transponder that car collision avoidance systems could see could easily fit in one, I'm thinking more along the lines of the current fancy pants garmin bike lights that adjust their brightness as a vehicle approaches you and also provides a proximity display on the gps unit screen.

I don't think battery life will be an issue as batteries are likely to get better and as now you'd recharge your lights / garmin before a ride.

Thinking some more about a safety system such as this, it could put an almost immediate end and greatly reduce (obviously older vehicles wouldn't have it) cyclist death and injuries due to vehicle collision and the best bit would be most of the tech would be in the vehicles. It would only require a minor tweak to what many cars have already in the way of collision avoidance systems. Currently many cars have lane assistance, they can self park, they have backup cameras, they will apply the brakes in the event of an imminent collision etc.

 

[Drago]

Fundamentally, In don't think bikes will change greatly. Hop off a time machine in 30 years and hop on a bike I'm pretty sure it won't feel much different.

 

[subaqua]

Voice activated gear changes but could be a problem with my scottish accent

View: https://youtu.be/sAz_UvnUeuU

 

[jefmcg]

I think the biggest changes might come from self driving cars and 3D printers.

 

[jefmcg]

But hopefully in a positive way and even more hopefully it won't involve cyclists in any way more than wearing some sort of transponder so vehicle collision avoidance systems can see them.

This would be a terrible idea. If cars rely on a transponder to "see" you, then a flat battery would mean you were invisible on the roads. And would pedestrians have to wear them too, or would they just be invisible? I'd rather have helmet compulsion than transponder compulsion.

 

[Drago]

I think the biggest changes might come from self driving cars and 3D printers.

Self driving 3 printers? It'll never catch on.

 

[Colin_P]

This would be a terrible idea. If cars rely on a transponder to "see" you, then a flat battery would mean you were invisible on the roads. And would pedestrians have to wear them too, or would they just be invisible? I'd rather have helmet compulsion than transponder compulsion.

It would be as part of a vehicles secondary collision avoidance system, the primary being the driver! I cannot see any negatives to this and would much rather it existed than having to wear a silly hat.

Cars already do this and rely primarily on radar. Thinking some more about it, a benign transponder such as those that have existed for over twenty years in car key fob as part of the immobilser could be used. All the tech would be in the vehicle which would be constantly scanning its environment and if such a transponder "lights up" the radar. The only thing needed on the bike would be a tiny capsule transponder, no batteries and nothing for the cyclist to worry about forgetting.

The possibilities of such a system could;

1, Make left hand turn lorry crushing a thing of the past, especially if such vehicles were fitted with enhances scanners / radars.
2, Close passes, the vehicle would either slam its brakes on or if room apply some steering input.
3, T bones at junctions, a vehicle simply wouldn't move out from a junction if a cycle is in close promity / approaching.
4, Safer filtering, again on the same principals.

The down side will probably be drivers becomming more complacent and taking more risks relying on the car to sort problems out.

But, all this is coming regardless with self driving cars, which should, the should is a big one, make things safer all round. If a tiny little chip on the bike makes it safer still then I'm all for it.

 

[davidphilips]

Only a thought but if the numbers of cars on the road keep increasing the way they have over the last 30 years, how safe would it be to cycle?

My own thoughts on cycle changes would be expensive bikes becoming much more expensive and cheap bikes becoming almost use once and bin/recycle.

 

[classic33]

Self driving 3 printers? It'll never catch on.

Given your current avatar, how about a 3D printed pizza?

HD 3d printing pizza on a contract from NASA HD

 

[jefmcg]

Only a thought but if the numbers of cars on the road keep increasing the way they have over the last 30 years, how safe would it be to cycle?

Very safe. Only danger will be a dooring, as the cars won't be moving.

 

[Drago]

I hope energy will be so expensive that it impacts on fools making needless journeys. Its amazing what suddenly ceases to be an "essential" journey when people can't afford the fuel.

 

[classic33]

Very safe. Only danger will be a dooring, as the cars won't be moving.

And it's a design that Google is looking at. Relaunched last year.

 

[jefmcg]

View attachment 345343
And it's a design that Google is looking at. Relaunched last year.

That's no good. How are the passengers going to get out when there is a pedestrian or cyclist adhered to the front of the car?

 

[classic33]

That's no good. How are the passengers going to get out when there is a pedestrian or cyclist adhered to the front of the car?

View attachment 345358

They come with a built in escape hatch, through the roof. No joke.

 

[jefmcg]

The down side will probably be drivers becomming more complacent and taking more risks relying on the car to sort problems out.

Well, yes. That's my point. And it's a huge downside. If you think you can rely on the car to tell you if there is anything to the left of your vehicle, a lot of drivers won't look. And already too many drivers don't bother looking.