An integrated IoT device can add huge value to eBikes and is the key element to combine hardware and software into a modern product offering. An IoT device would ideally be deeply integrated with the CANbus of an eBike and provide capacity to run services on the vehicle. Typically, you would expect the following functions on a device:
- GPS
- Cellular connectivity preferably via eSim with AT-M1 (4G) with 3G fallback and/or NB-IoT
- Short-range connectivity such as BLE 5.0 or higher, ANT+
- Motion sensors (gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer)
- Onboard flash memory (at least 16GB)
- CAN/UART/digital IO/wakeup line
- ID tag readers such as RFID or NFC
- Onboard battery that can be charged by the main vehicle battery
This would enable the following functions:
- Set powertrain parameters and issue commands
- Periodic wake-up in sleep mode to transmit heartbeat information (e.g., battery status and GPS position)
- OTA update of own firmware via cellular and bluetooth connection
- OTA update of other control units connected via CAN
- Geofencing of vehicle
- Crash and fall-down detection
- Theft/unplug detection
- Immobiliser linked to access control
- Module wakeup via CAN, bluetooth or cellular communication, or other triggers (e.g., motion)
- System wakeup and shutdown based on trigger conditions (e.g., movement or non-movement timeout)
- Pre-processing of CAN data prior to transmission (e.g., filtering or averaging, downsampling,
edge/event detection)
If you start a project, it has to be as clear as possible what the main goals will be and what kind of data you want to collect. I can help you with this internal discovery process and have a solid overview of which market players can provide you with solutions. Feel free to reach out and discuss.