Independent Study: Emi
Optimizing Form of KanGo for Specific Area and Robust Obstacle Avoidance
Research Objective
KanGo needs to ensure the safety of the bike, avoiding any damage during transportation. As the whole biking system services in a particular area (eg. HKSTP), the device is expected to adapt to the environment, in terms of form and shape. This research target is to find out the common obstacles in HKSTP that need extra attention and make KanGo adoptable in HKSTP in terms of shape and materials.
The meaning of “adapt to the environment”& “avoiding damage”
find out anything that they may bring damage to KanGO, bike or other users in HKSTP
Road Conditions of HKSTP
Obstacles: safety barriers, support of the buildings, pets (controlled), non-obvious corners of planters
Slope: mostly 3-6°, some positions might have 7°< but can be avoided by path optimization
The width of the track: 1.15~2.3m
Radius of the corner: 8. 421~22 .468 m
Calculation on Rotation Performance
Method 1: Turning Radius Calculator [TR = WB/tan(a)]
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to calculate the turning radius(TR) by given wheelbase(WB) and turn angle(a°)
Method 2: Motorcycles Dynamic [r = 𝜔/𝛿cos(𝜙)]
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to calculate the turning radius(r) by given wheelbase(𝜔), steering angle(𝛿°) and steering axis angle (𝜙°)
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all angles are in radian
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Method 1 can cover a wider range and relatively less error
Comparsion
Shape and Materials
According to the above calculation, it is believed that the wheelbase of KanGo can handle most of the road conditions. However, handling obstacles is still full of uncertainties.
In terms of shape, it was predicted that some specific shapes can help with reducing disturbance to animals. After the fleid trip, most animals like pets are controlled and KanGo will not hurt them.
In terms of materials, glass fibre is a good choice due to its strong strength and it brings to good protection towards KanGo and the bicycle. It can reduces damges from the external obstacles in the environment. Some silicone can also be used in some corners and clamp.
Insights
Materials and Shape
It was expected that a specific shape would be needed for animals. The environment of HKSTP does not require the need at this stage. Also, glass fibre and silicone are useful for handling the collisions between the external obstacles and KanGo.
Prediction on KanGo Performance
Without the bicycle, KanGo can deal with most of the corners and slopes, and travel on most of the roads
With the bicycle, KanGo can still deal with most of the slopes. Some methods are needed to deal with some roads with a small turning radius, like trying to “blend” the bike after turning and turning bit by bit (Z-shape).
Significance of Research
The goal of the project is to ensure a seamless transition between biking and daily life for users. KanGo needs to secure the condition of the bike while travelling, making the system reliable and bringing confidence to users. In the long term, it is hoped that the parking system can be adopted by more bikers.