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Design for a Cause - Design Challenge
Blog Design for a Cause - The Ultimate Smart Trike Design Blog 1 of 4
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Engagement
  • Author Author: Sean_Miller
  • Date Created: 13 Jul 2018 4:58 PM Date Created
  • Views 3039 views
  • Likes 14 likes
  • Comments 11 comments
  • raising awesome
  • lcd display
  • accessibility_projects
  • e14presents_raisingawesome
  • ardexpert
  • vcp_acause
  • mkr1000
  • arduino
  • ultrasonic proximity sensor
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Design for a Cause - The Ultimate Smart Trike Design Blog 1 of 4

Sean_Miller
Sean_Miller
13 Jul 2018
image
Add a Motor to your Bike with Arduino

element14 Presents  | Raising Awesome's VCP Profile    |  Project Videos

 

Jump to Blog 2:Design for a Cause - The Ultimate Smart Trike Design Blog 2 of 4

INTRODUCTION

We are Sean and Connor Miller from the YouTube Channel Raising Awesome.  I've had a career of diverse roles spawned from an engineering degree and 13 year old Connor - well, I hope he saves the world some day.  We have partnered with Element14.com for the up coming Design for a Cause Challenge.

 

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We recently worked with Element14.com and The Ben Heck show for a Design for a Cause assistive technology project, the Clock Crane.  It is designed to assist taking items between floors for someone who cannot manage stairs with two handed objects.  In our lives, we all have someone we care about that was either born with such an impairment or, as time went on, found themselves with such a physical challenge.  With what is truly a simple application of technology, one's day and thoughts can be stepped closer to the comfort that others enjoy.

 

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For our next project, we aren't competing in the Design for a Cause challenge, but we are definitely participating.  Our goal is to help inspire others to join the challenge or embark on an assistive technology build of their own - or just find a way to make their ideas come to life that could make the world a better place.  Specifically for this build, we hope to showcase the advantage the MKR1000 IoT kit and the skills you learn when prototyping with it can have when coupled to mechanical components.

 

So, here's our story...when Connor was two years old, his mom (Brenda) was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  Per current science, MS is considered an auto immune disease where one's own immune system attacks the myelin sheath of the nerves in the brain and spinal cord resulting in what Makers would call "knicks in the wire insulation".  In turn, the nervous system has "shorts to ground".  As time goes on, it typically results in impairment requiring a cane or wheel chair, high fatigue, and numbing pain similar to when one gets the "needles" from their leg falling asleep.

 

The diagnosis of MS starts with motor skill tests that isolate the issue.  Once narrowed down, the diagnosis moves to an MRI and spinal tap.  The MRI shows lighted spots (aka legions) on the brain.  The spinal fluid shows a higher amount of certain proteins.  For Brenda, although there were possibly signs leading up to it, the symptoms escalated suddenly on a trip the took across the God's Country of West Virginia (for you Fallout fans).  The major symptoms subsided slightly so that she no long required a cane until a year ago when they came back worse than ever.  Having moved to east of St. Louis where there are over 80 miles of paved rail trail for walking and biking, this suddenly put a damper on our favorite part of this location.  As Makers, we weren't just going to give up riding.  So, our Design for a Cause project was born.

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PROJECT DESIGN

In this assistive technology project to take us back to the trails, we need to establish a means of cycling that addresses the following:

  • poor balance to keep the bike in one's own lane
  • weak grip with the left hand to squeeze the bike brake
  • inability to stand to "torque" up hills
  • inability to step over the center bar to mount the bike
  • general quick fatigue due to left leg pain


To pull this off, we will apply the following assistive technology:

  • Trade in the 2 wheeled bike for a 3 wheeled, low center bar trike
  • 36V 500 RPM motor geared for 11 mph
  • 36V motor controller and thumb throttle
  • (3) 12V batteries
  • MKR1000 IoT kit
  • Additional Design for a Cause Challenge Components
  • ESP8266

image

Key features of this Smart Trike will be:

  • Motor interlock due to over tilt
  • Motor interlock when either brake is applied
  • Motor interlock for objects too close
  • Motor interlock if stopped peddling
  • Power Assist braking
  • LCD display of speed, distance, travel time, and interlock status information
  • Garage door opener/closer
  • Data logging for speed, distance, travel time, interlock hits with identifying reason, and tilt
  • Bike Security Alarm
  • Retro Paperboy Arcade Portable - just kidding - that's for a future winter time build

 

BUILD NOTES

Logic Levels:

    • The Ultrasonic Proximity Sensor and the LCD both will need 5V to function properly.  The MKR1000 runs on a 3.3V logic level.  So, any inputs to the MKR1000 need to be 3.3V.
    • On the Ultrasonic Proximity Sensor, you need to put a voltage divider or level shifter on the echo pin.  I used a 680 ohm and 1K ohm voltage divider circuit which took it down to 3.02V on the oscilloscope.
    • On the LCD, the R/W pin (#5) can just be taken to ground.

          SD Card Shield Pinouts:

    • The SD Card shield will use 4 pins.  I'm sure there can be sharing of the pins if one takes some coding precautions, but if you wants to avoid them altogether, here they are:  D4, D8, D9, D10.

 

CLOSING COMMENTS

We appreciate Element14 allowing us to "give back" in our own unique way.  We hope you find our series of four (4) videos and blogs fun, educational, and inspiring.  If you have interest in other skill sets, such as watching Connor learn to weld so he can make the motor mount for this project, check us out on the Raising Awesome channel.  It is the chronicle of Connor's life lessons and life skills development from 9 to 18 where he is learning and sharing how to do every practical skill on our modern planet.

 

-Sean and Connor

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Top Comments

  • Sean_Miller
    Sean_Miller over 7 years ago in reply to jkutzsch +3
    Great question. This trike attracted me primarily because I saw about 4" of free keyed shaft exposed in the back and a platform that I could install a motor on. If I were not to motorize and MKR1000 it…
  • Sean_Miller
    Sean_Miller over 7 years ago in reply to jkutzsch +3
    John, we have some really good Crash Test Dummy footage for you on this style of trike! I just sent our Episode 2 raw video to the element14 team for editing. We were lucky and caught some real world physics…
  • 14rhb
    14rhb over 7 years ago +2
    Hi Sean and Connor, Nice one. I look forward to seeing how this progresses and hearing what Brenda makes of it. Good luck. Rod
  • jkutzsch
    jkutzsch over 7 years ago in reply to Sean_Miller

    I wish a design similar to this would actually become available for people with limited budgets.  Considering this costs more then a lot of used cars/trucks around here it won't be catching on very soon.

     

    Stinger Offroad Recumbent - ReActive Adaptations

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  • Sean_Miller
    Sean_Miller over 7 years ago in reply to jkutzsch

    John, we have some really good Crash Test Dummy footage for you on this style of trike!

     

    I just sent our Episode 2 raw video to the element14 team for editing.  We were lucky and caught some real world physics first hand for this one!  :-)  Hopefully, in Episode 3 and 4, those real world physics won't ever happen again.

     

    The video and blog should be posted in a week or so.

     

    See ya',

    Sean

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  • jkutzsch
    jkutzsch over 7 years ago in reply to Sean_Miller

    The availability of your style trike makes it very interesting in regards that others can duplicate your efforts later.  I have even found some places that provide for a replacement setup to take a 2 wheel bike and turn it into a 3 wheeled like yours.

     

    https://higleymetals.com/Home_Page.html   these guys have some interesting designs.

     

    I look forward to seeing your project as it progresses!

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  • Sean_Miller
    Sean_Miller over 7 years ago in reply to jkutzsch

    Great question.  This trike attracted me primarily because I saw about 4" of free keyed shaft exposed in the back and a platform that I could install a motor on.

     

    If I were not to motorize and MKR1000 it, after doing further research, I definitely would go for a low profile recumbent with two wheels in the back and one in the front.  I read an article by a manufacturer which I unfortunately can't find again right now.  It said that 90% of people like the recumbent, two wheel in the back style the best.  The manufacturer sold three types, so it seemed legit.  It said that having two wheels in the front makes for a very hard turning vehicle. 

     

    The trike style we have has its issues.  One, it being a very inexpensive trike, it appears the front frame welds were not precise.  In turn, it is "yawed" out.  I had to modify how it bolted into the carriage to make it rideable, but I still need to do more to straighten it out.  If it were fabricated true, I'd have little complaint for what we are doing and where we plan to ride.

     

    On this style of trike, if one has ridden a bike for years, you will definitely feel the difference of not being able to lean into turns and side inclines.  It can give you the feeling that it will flip when turning-although physically you probably wouldn't.  We are installing our batteries low to help ensure that it can't happen.  I have concern thought that if it were to veer in a direction, it may be hard to steer it back center.

     

    I would not recommend our trike for your son.  Go with the low rider.

     

    On our 80+ (some say 100+) mile rail trail system we have around here, I see recumbents a lot - and they are scooting right along happily.

     

    See ya',

    Sean

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  • jkutzsch
    jkutzsch over 7 years ago

    Sounds like a great project.  Curious on what made you go with that specific style of 3 wheeled bike compared to a recumbent and/or 2 wheel in front, 1 wheel in rear setup?

     

    My son is Autism Spectrum and can not ride a 2 wheeled bike so we have been looking at various 3 wheel options.

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