​TU Delft and Gazelle devised a smart motor that prevents fall | Amsterdammer in English

​TU Delft and Gazelle devised a smart motor that prevents falling off bikes

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and the Dutch bicycle manufacturer Gazelle have developed a prototype of an electric bicycle with an intelligent steering assistance system. And their purpose was to reduce the number of falls from bicycles.

The local Institute for Road Safety has found that the number of serious road accidents is decreasing every year. However, the number of accidents involving cyclists increased by around 30% between 2000 and 2010. They often occur as a result of a cyclist losing their balance, and in many cases it is the senior people who are involved. The annual number of people aged 55 and over who die in road accidents is around 120 and those involved in serious accidents is 4,280.

To make bikes safer, TU Delft and Gazelle have come up with an engine that provides steering assistance and keeps the bike stable at speeds above 4 km/h. To do this, they spent 15 years studying why bicycles do or do not fall, and developed a mathematical model comprising around 25 physical parameters that successfully predicted the stability of the bicycle structure at different speeds. This steering assistance system is the world's first design that can hold the bike upright. But a lot of research needs to be done before it becomes available to consumers.