The Telebike (Fall 2010)

An interactive, virtual bike ride through Google StreetView. Full implementation details (code, circuits, components, et cetera) available upon request.

The Goal

Exercise is important for a healthy lifestyle. But because people have many demands on their time, exercise is not always a priority. The goal is to make exercise a higher priority for people.

The Process

Exercise is discouraged by a perceived high level of activation energy and low immediate rewards. A system which is convenient and fun will solve these problems.  Bikes are a piece of exercise equipment which are very common and often overlooked. By designing a system which advances the functionality of a user’s bike, we can encourage exercise without asking the user to purchase additional equipment.

The Solution

By integrating electromechanical components with a bike, we can provide a virtual bike ride through Google StreetView. Speed and direction information from the bike controls movement through the virtual world.  Elevation change from the virtual world affects the resistance of the bike. The result is a fun biking experience anywhere in the world, all without leaving your front door. The Telebike also turns out to make a wonderful Tron controller.  Who would have guessed?

My Responsibilities

• Circuit design and testing
• Microcontroller programming (PIC C)
• Software integration (Python)
• Mechanical system prototyping