Saarland University's Holger Hermanns and the Wireless Bike Brake Saarland University As the world goes increasingly wireless, we’ve learned to tolerate a certain degree of failure in our wireless systems--like when your computer just won’t sync up with the wireless internet at the cafe, or when our phones drop a call. But what about situations when wireless systems simply cannot fail? A failure rate of zero is tough to achieve in any system, but computer scientists at Saarland University in Germany have demonstrated a wireless bicycle brake that works 99.999999999997 percent of the time.
That means in a trillion braking attempts, it fails three times on average. It’s not perfect, mathematically speaking, but for practical purposes it’s pretty close.
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That all sounds simple enough for a wireless bicycle brake, but the idea is to create a testbed for wireless technologies that absolutely cannot fail, like those envisioned for future train systems or for commercial jetliners. Starting with a simple handbrake, the Saarland team hopes to build the complex technologies necessary to ensure safety in wireless systems.
After all, brake failure on a bicycle is dangerous. But brake failure on a train could be catastrophic. Three failures in a trillion is a pretty good mark to start improving upon.
Previous Article: Thank You to Dennis Ritchie, Without Whom None of This Would Be HereNext Article: Archive Gallery: Classic Thrill Rides and Carnival Attractions 19 Comments Link to this comment yetihehe 10/13/11 at 4:50 pmThey could make those brakes on trains just like in trucks. They are pneumatic, and for braking pressure is relieved. If there is some malfunction or loss of pressure, there is nothing holding back brakes and you just brake.
Link to this comment bfouts 10/13/11 at 5:45 pmwith a bike break cable, i feel a sense of confidence that my breaks are going to work when i need them
although this is advertised as a 'fail proof' system, it's electronic - and wireless. can radio interference cause this thing to fail? i don't really like the idea of an external source being able to control/disable the breaks to my vehicle
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Q 10/13/11 at 6:23 pm Wonderful! If I can buy it for $20 bucks great!
Now, what are the odds of that, really.
So can it be jammed? just wondering.....
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Sprite 10/13/11 at 8:08 pm I really am curious of this scientist testing method. The article makes a large point of it and then we are left with nothing. Seems like a interesting to speak about.
What automated test did he do a trillion times that it would only fail 3 times?
Mmm, I do not believe he push the brake button a trillion times, while riding the bike? So yes, his testing had to be automated. So what gadgets and automation did he use?
Besides the new breaking system being of interest; I sure wish to learn more of his testing methods!
How long would it take a person to sit and count up to a trillion?
Trillion... only 3 fails. Somebody observed this.
Link to this comment beefymclovin 10/13/11 at 9:14 pmgreat idea. hows it gonna stand up to real world use? water safe? impact safe? would general radio signal interfere with its operations? include battery meters also. bikes fall over and also go thru puddles. would take me a while to trust it without a manual back up
Link to this comment tundrasea 10/13/11 at 10:21 pm@bfouts: "with a bike break (sic) cable, i feel a sense of confidence that my breaks (sic) are going to work when i need them"
When your brake cable breaks, your sense of confidence won't help you much. (BTW, look for the "Shift" button on your keyboard. You should also learn where the "period" button is located. Your sloppy typing is suitable for personal correspondence, but you shouldn't expect strangers to struggle to read it.)
Link to this comment thor_l33t 10/13/11 at 10:51 pmFirst of all to all of you who made comments on this...
The article was describing a research project which investigates how consecutive failures in message transfer may affect the correct functioning. The application of braking a bicycle was selected as an example, however the modeling and statistical analysis can be applied to really any system that has a hard real-time requirement and no obvious fail-safe state.
yetihehe - You are correct that one could conceive a system where the braking system was fail-safe. The point of the article though was to apply this to a system and examine the probabilities in a rigorous physical and mathematical system comparing them.
Sprite - Your comment on "How long would it take a person to sit and count up to a trillion?
Trillion... only 3 fails. Somebody observed this." There are two main types of models made here: deterministic (what you observe) and probabilistic (what you predict). When the article says "99.99999997 probability and that means in a trillion braking attempts, it fails three times on average," the author is actually explaining in lay-terms how this can be perceived. It is not literal, however it is approximate. You can learn more about statistics in school if you are interested in this. To me it is rather boring. As far as the article goes and your remark "Besides the new breaking system being of interest; I sure wish to learn more of his testing methods!" the article is published online at http://www.mpi-sws.org/~vahldiek/papers/wowmom.pdf so you can read all about the testing methods and the data taken.
Kartman - To answer your question of whether it can be jammed...
Yes, most wireless systems can be jammed if there is sufficient RF energy directed at the receiver. In the development of military hardware MIL-STD 462 defines this is as Radiated Susceptibility (RS). Jamming requires a frequency tuning, an object capable of developing enough RF energy, and a transmitter that is directional such that the lobes (areas of concentration) sufficiently exceed the threshold of the receivers signal path. I would not consider a mischievous person being able to build such items only to shut down your braking momentarily while you drive by. It would cost entirely too much time and energy. You could design the system to be robust enough to withstand any latent or ambient RF noise which is more likely of a case.
The grips sense pressure to break, but what happens if you ride over a pothole and you instantly squeeze the handles to keep control of the bike; wouldn't that make the system brake unintentionally?
Well, as long as RIM is not the one building/managing the breaks we should be fine.
Link to this comment doitbetternow 10/14/11 at 12:28 amThe article did not say the technology was ready-for -marketplace. Y'all have pointed out several reasons WHY it isn't. Take the article for what its worth - it brings attention to situation where 'No failure' is the only acceptable mode of operation.
Think about it, Tygrys. how does your hand lay on the handlebars when you are braking rather that trying to just keeping a grip on your handlebars on rough terrain? Look to your computer and the touchpad.
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gizmowiz 10/14/11 at 1:06 am So if you put two of the bikes side by side and you brake and the bike next to you........oh boy I can imagine a race with 100 bikes close together when racing all the different frequencies and then the teams trying to mess each other up by sending false signals from the sidelines......
Link to this comment matsci1 10/14/11 at 6:00 amI do like the advances made in wireless control of actuators and the pressure sensitive breaking strength. This has applications in simplifying the linkage in remote operated equipment.
Link to this comment Sprite 10/14/11 at 6:10 am I guess it comes back to the market you selling to really. There are those in life with extreme amounts of money, who want gold and platinum bikes and well just to be exotic. They peddle about to be seen. Their bike maybe all decked out with exotic electronic gadgets, bling, bing! So, ok, I can see this being sold.
Then there is the race bicyclist. I just do not see it happening for them. It looks like it makes the bike a lot heavier and complicated, even though the writer and thor_l33t dazzle me with their higher education and vocabulary, but in a way of an excellent used car sales men. Your sales talk is really good, but the Peter Pan principle did not kick in for me, I do not believe. Least not for any sincerely focus speed race biker. I know several things from working with electronics, outside radio frequencies can interfere with you one electronic, batteries do die eventually and electronics do not like a lot of vibration.
And to the average Target, Wal-Mart bicycle, I do not think you gadget could be sold for an extra item on a bike at a cost the general consumer would want.
But hey, what we see in the picture could just be bulky R&D electronics, sure. But later it can be all micro small and encase in water proof plastic, to finally end with being made in South Korea or China and sold back to the USA cheap and then good for the Wal-Mart, Target folk or if the cost is high, put a lot of bling bling on it and sell it to the rich narsstistic folk..
I guess time will tell. I am not sold yet. So for now it’s just interesting R&D gadgetry.
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sbkgriffy 10/14/11 at 11:37 am The range between the transmitter and receiver being so small in a bicycle, they were able to achieve such an unimaginable failsafe result of thrice in a trillion. But in a practical long distant application with interference from other radio frequency sources, is the same result possible? Would be great if found
Link to this comment Tygrys 10/14/11 at 2:08 pmdoitbetternow, I do not like touchpads; sometimes they 'click' when I don't want them to click. Or when I type, the bottom of my palm touches the touchpad and activates a click. I prefer to use a mouse.
I'm not dissing the technology. Like others have pointed out, this technology can be used in some situations but not in all.
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JediMindset 10/14/11 at 2:46 pm video? or it never happened....
_________________
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Link to this comment Q 10/14/11 at 2:55 pm Mr. Holger Hermanns, I ride your bicycle, just so you know.
Link to this comment bargamer 10/14/11 at 6:29 pmI give them less than 8 hours before the wireless signal gets jammed hacked, an app to do this automatically gets put on the internet, and bicyclists and trains everywhere get trolled.
Seriously, just jump off the bike.
Link to this comment drchuck1 10/15/11 at 5:35 am@yetihehe...you are correct that trucks have a fail safe built into their pneumatic brake systems; however, the service brakes are operated by increasing the air presure stored in air tanks; the parking breaks are steel springs held back by air presure (the driver opens a valve in the cab to dump the air presure out of the system when parked): the loss of air presure (caused by a mallfunnction of some sort) allows the parking brakes to activate and stop the truck, thus not allowing the truck to be operated without adequate air presure, cheers
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