motorcycle body control module

[pherako]

Hi, guys and gals.

I'm in the first stages of getting a senior design project together here at the fine University of Texas in electrical engineering. Here is the concept.

A Body Control Module (BCM) for a Motorcycle

Features:

core features:
*web-configurable control module (basically a web-appliance, if you know what that is)
-> wireless? 802.11 compatible?

lighting features:
*headlight modulation (FMVSS-compatible)
*headlight regulation (prevent dimming at low rpms by load-matching)
*tail-light flashing (possibly rate dependent on deceleration)
*variable frequency turn signals (dependent on compatibility with FMVSS)

bonus features:
*3-axis accelerometer
*self-canceling turn signals
*gear position indication (of some sort - maybe flashes of the neutral light, or similar)
*shift light (maybe flashing the tach backlight)
*tire pressure (and temperature) monitoring and (audible?) alarm
*anti-theft, remote controlled alarm
*remote starting
*possible local interface (no laptop required) - VFD/LCD/something with pushbuttons as an option
*datalogging to SD card

I know I don't post much on this website, but lemme recap who I am. I am a student at UT austin, electrical engineering senior with some background in automotive engineering. I have to do a senior design project to graduate.

I have a GS500 (which runs awesome since I found a stuck lifter and rebuilt the top end). I know parts are plentiful, and there is a lot of these bikes on the road. BTW, just because this project would be prototyped on the GS500 doesn't limit it. It could work on a myriad of other bikes, it's just a matter of making a harness (or kitting enough parts for an competent installer, such as yourselves, to do).

What I want to know, is if anybody would be interested in such a module, and which features listed above (or others) that you would be interested in seeing in a final product. The module in final stages would be weatherproofed and feature automotive-style connectors, such as delphi, or something. It could possibly replace the voltage regulator, and be slightly bigger.

Finally, (and probably least importantly at this stage how much would you be willing to shell out for those features.) It wouldn't be less than 100 bucks, so don't insult me.

Lev

[pherako]

Of course, firmware updates would be readily available as issues are tested and resolved, and easy to install via SD card or website.

(Much like updating your router firmware, if you've ever done that.)


I just thought of another feature.
*horn modulation - no more weak quack at idle.

[Absolute Rescue]

Sounds like a pretty cool idea, would be very interested if you could get it to work good luck and keep us posted!

[tussey]

Wow dude. I have several engineering friends (CE and EE) and I saw their senior design projects. That's some hard core shaZam! and a lot of programming. Good luck dude.  Building the web application is a project in and of itself.

[pherako]

Thanks.

I'm working with some really bright and dedicated guys. As long as we have a good plan, and money I think things will work out.

[Alphamazing]

Neat idea!

Also, I like the paint on your GS and so does Chris (the guy with the '01 and orange helmet).

[pherako]

Ah, yeah, Chris and I ran down spicewood springs last week. He's in my govt. class. I haven't met you, but I've seen the Dr. Z, thats a mighty cool bike. I might have facebooked you when I joined USBC, but I never did anything with those guys. What's your major? I ask, because we're looking for a fourth person for our senior design group, preferably somebody who's interested.

Oh, and the paint is Suzuki YHJ - '06 SV650 Candy Napoleon Blue

[Alphamazing]

Ah, yeah, Chris and I ran down spicewood springs last week. He's in my govt. class. I haven't met you, but I've seen the Dr. Z, thats a mighty cool bike. I might have facebooked you when I joined USBC, but I never did anything with those guys. What's your major? I ask, because we're looking for a fourth person for our senior design group, preferably somebody who's interested.

Oh, and the paint is Suzuki YHJ - '06 SV650 Candy Napoleon Blue

Yeah, the USBC has been rather inactive for a while because most of the officers are engineers. Nick is knee deep in programming stuff for EE, and the track day schedule hasn't worked out very easily so my position is slightly useless.

I'm an ME, junior by hours, sophomore by years.

[yamahonkawazuki]

nice idea, cept if i may, leave the lazy starter off of it. unless you park your mc in neutral. otherwise, it starts and bike wobbles and falls over, again unless its 1 in neutral or 2 on its center stand

[foobar]

some cool ideas on the surface. i don't mean to sound like a wet blanket but the headlight modulators, turn signal cancelers, brake light flasher, tire pressure monitor are already available at http://www.kisantech.com/

i like the idea of the gear indicator and i seem to recall some posts on it before. how about a fuel gauge?

just some questions from an objective standpoint. i'm not trying to nit-pick your ideas but you should have answers for these questions for the ones that are nit-picky (like your jaded prof) :

what is the purpose of having it configurable? all of those features don't really require any configuration once installed.
why have it wireless compatible? what is the purpose? why as a consumer would i want that?

[pherako]

nice idea, cept if i may, leave the lazy starter off of it. unless you park your mc in neutral. otherwise, it starts and bike wobbles and falls over, again unless its 1 in neutral or 2 on its center stand

Yes, one of my partners has voiced concerns about remote start. There are safety issues associated with that, which is why it's not on the core list. These would have to be thoroughly considered, and workarounds, such as a parking brake be implemented.

However, wouldn't it be nice to have the bike warmed up and ready to go by the time you make it downstairs, so you're not driving down the road full choke? Yes, its a lazy man's feature, no doubt about it, but you could also make it smart, i.e. add an oil temp sensor to back off the choke.

On the downside, complexity only adds possibility of failure. On the upside, most automotive grade sensors and actuators must have extremely long MTBF (mean time between failures), or manufacturers simply won't buy them. Ten years ago that would have been a better argument.

I gotta run, but I'll get to the other post when I get back. I understand there would be competition.

As a consumer, this module would reduce the amount of strap-on accessories you would add. In fact, it would probably replace the voltage regulator, so it would actually serve to reduce complexity on 'upgraded' bikes to a single option.

More later. I appreciate the feedback, I really need to be thinking about this stuff ahead of time.

Lev

[pherako]

some cool ideas on the surface. i don't mean to sound like a wet blanket but the headlight modulators, turn signal cancelers, brake light flasher, tire pressure monitor are already available at http://www.kisantech.com/

i like the idea of the gear indicator and i seem to recall some posts on it before. how about a fuel gauge?

just some questions from an objective standpoint. i'm not trying to nit-pick your ideas but you should have answers for these questions for the ones that are nit-picky (like your jaded prof) :

what is the purpose of having it configurable? all of those features don't really require any configuration once installed.
why have it wireless compatible? what is the purpose? why as a consumer would i want that?

I looked at kisantech's turn signal canceling device, and 100 bucks for a timer circuit is not justified in my mind. I am proposing a more sophisticated system, that would look at 3-axis lean over a variety of speeds, and judge whether a lane change or turn has been made to characterize canceling the signal.

the web interface would make it configurable for the purpose of being able to change your preference of flashing rates, sensitivity, etc. some may find that effective.

a fuel gauge would be nice also. you could use the tank gas cap area water drain tube (is that enough words of a description) with a magnet and series of reed switches to at least judge the upper half of the tank, as one idea. as far as implementing a float, that would require tank modifications. might as well throw in the GSXR pump and fuel inject the thing . The GSXR pump has a float.

The Wireless Lan is probably the least interesting option, however, it could be on your network and cause an alarm on your computer that plays loud music in the middle of the night when your bike is being put onto a truck with no plates....

the gear indicator I saw people talked about the gsxr pot. I would think for commercial app, we could sell a generic pot and mounting bracket. the configuration web interface would be useful to manually calibrate positions and error once you've installed the sensor. for predetermined applications, i imagine the firmware will include common app, such as the gsxr pot on the GS.

I hope that answers some of the questions. I've already been grilled by a few profs about this - I'm looking for budget in the department to support our mission. Keep the questions coming, it keeps me fresh, and ideas documented.

[pherako]

about the TPMS (tire pressure). It'd be interesting to see what the cost of the kisantech's system would be. Reason being, I am considering using production parts that are already on vehicles. If they are developing their own, I imagine there are sunk costs that would have to be recouped. I dont have any specifics yet, but i see TPMS parts on ebay all the time for cheap.

[yamahonkawazuki]

if said bike has a hydraulic clutch, the lazy starter, could be implemented, but clutch would have to be activated, so bike doesnt move, a solenoid perhaps? along with some type of hydraulic unit or the like to run clutch until rider takes over

[pherako]

the fail-safe modes would have to be carefully considered. I was hoping for something minimally invasive. in the least, a parking brake is a 2-pound weight attached to the rear brake pedal, or a zip-tie/locking mechanism on the front brake.

a hydraulic clutch, IMO, wouldn't be much any different than a mechanical clutch in connecting an actuator, however the issue is stopping the bike (ensuring it stays put when you remote start). You park it in 1st gear because when the clutch is engaged, it is difficult for the rear tire to turn the engine over. If you were to park it in 6th, it wouldnt be much of a parking brake at all... so disengaging the clutch for the lazy start would be a bad idea if you rely on it for your parking brake, or if you're like me and park on a hill to prevent collecting rainwater in the exhaust.

how about a locking pin solenoid that allows you to set the rear brake permanently on, but its default position is released. the only issue then is will this affect the lifetime of the hoses, if the bike is parked with pressure in the lines.

I guess an easier solution would be to use one of those disk locks as a parking brake? but then the system has no way of failsafing (ensuring that you didn't forget to put that on when you parked the bike for the night.

On that note comes my favorite saying (there are many variations on this). You can try to idiot proof anything, but there will always be a bigger idiot.

I guess the most important thing is that the engineer himself is not the idiot, right?

[foobar]

I looked at kisantech's turn signal canceling device, and 100 bucks for a timer circuit is not justified in my mind. I am proposing a more sophisticated system, that would look at 3-axis lean over a variety of speeds, and judge whether a lane change or turn has been made to characterize canceling the signal.

the web interface would make it configurable for the purpose of being able to change your preference of flashing rates, sensitivity, etc. some may find that effective.

a fuel gauge would be nice also. you could use the tank gas cap area water drain tube (is that enough words of a description) with a magnet and series of reed switches to at least judge the upper half of the tank, as one idea. as far as implementing a float, that would require tank modifications. might as well throw in the GSXR pump and fuel inject the thing . The GSXR pump has a float.

The Wireless Lan is probably the least interesting option, however, it could be on your network and cause an alarm on your computer that plays loud music in the middle of the night when your bike is being put onto a truck with no plates....

the gear indicator I saw people talked about the gsxr pot. I would think for commercial app, we could sell a generic pot and mounting bracket. the configuration web interface would be useful to manually calibrate positions and error once you've installed the sensor. for predetermined applications, i imagine the firmware will include common app, such as the gsxr pot on the GS.

I hope that answers some of the questions. I've already been grilled by a few profs about this - I'm looking for budget in the department to support our mission. Keep the questions coming, it keeps me fresh, and ideas documented.

good answers 

i guess the real challenge from a consumer standpoint is to figure out how to come in below their cost for the 'full boat' of what your competitor offers. i got their tail flasher and am going to install those once i get the second one in (i'm a newb with the GS and only ordered one the first time around ). i also picked up the headlight modulator.

yeah the fuel gauge is probably beyond the scope of your project. better not to get bogged down in the bike-specific stuff anyway. unless you were doing something GS specific. but i imagine you would gain more funding traction if it were a 'universal' module of sorts.

here's an idea; you could create service reminders using a separate odometer (magnet style) that is configurable via the web interface. you could set reminders to clean and lube the chain every 600 miles, check the valves at their intervals, full service intervals, etc... and show a warning LED near the speedo or something (maybe even set 'severity' levels for various reminders and have different colored LEDs). then on the 'console' unit, have a LCD display scrolling the service that needed to be performed. just a thought...


you wouldn't believe the kind of crap i have to do to idiot proof even the simplest internally used software tools at work... it's quite tiresome after a while. enjoy this time you have before you have to join the workforce. engineering can sometimes be a major drag in the jungle... 

[nightrider]

I would pay $50-$60 for a body-integrated locking system. Something less unwieldy than the bike locks I use now (overnight unattended, outlying neighborhoods, etc) and not something one is prone to driving through the front forks and caliper when forgotten about.

Ignition lock is not sufficient to prevent loss and my bike doesn't handlebar-lock either, I think an improved integrated lock would be as valuable as any of the options you have presented...

I would buy one.

[pherako]

yeah the fuel gauge is probably beyond the scope of your project. better not to get bogged down in the bike-specific stuff anyway. unless you were doing something GS specific. but i imagine you would gain more funding traction if it were a 'universal' module of sorts.

I agree. I definitely want to stay on the generic side so the thing is reasonably marketable, although there are plenty of GS owners out there, I think it would be better if this thing could be put on any bike.

here's an idea; you could create service reminders using a separate odometer (magnet style) that is configurable via the web interface. you could set reminders to clean and lube the chain every 600 miles, check the valves at their intervals, full service intervals, etc... and show a warning LED near the speedo or something (maybe even set 'severity' levels for various reminders and have different colored LEDs). then on the 'console' unit, have a LCD display scrolling the service that needed to be performed. just a thought...

this, i like. Even better, have this thing keep records on the SD card in a spreadsheet.

One of my partners has complained a bit about local interfaces. His argument: How many people know how to set the clock on their VCR? There are too many shitty interfaces out there, and people get too confused and frustrated. Keeping end-users happy is just another way to sell more product, so I think much more than a VFD/LDC is probably low on the priority list. The whole idea of the web interface is that most people can use the internet pretty well (at least the people on this forum, eh - even an idiot programmer like me can insert emoticons) and therefore there will be less end-user frustration.

I already keep records like that for my GS in excel but it doesn't count the miles automatically. And I often forget to update it, so it's not complete.

you wouldn't believe the kind of crap i have to do to idiot proof even the simplest internally used software tools at work... it's quite tiresome after a while. enjoy this time you have before you have to join the workforce. engineering can sometimes be a major drag in the jungle... 

All part of cube farm fun, right? I can't wait.

[pherako]

I would pay $50-$60 for a body-integrated locking system. Something less unwieldy than the bike locks I use now (overnight unattended, outlying neighborhoods, etc) and not something one is prone to driving through the front forks and caliper when forgotten about.

Ignition lock is not sufficient to prevent loss and my bike doesn't handlebar-lock either, I think an improved integrated lock would be as valuable as any of the options you have presented...

I would buy one.

Security is all about peace of mind, right? Your disc brake lock does NOT prevent theft, contrary to popular beleif. It makes it harder, yes, but most bike theft occurs with four burly guys and a pair of 2x4 through both wheels. when you lock the wheel, it makes it easier b/c the wheel doesnt spin around and damage anything.

All that aside, the more I think about having a local program run on your PC that monitors the state of your bike, the more I realize that it's a good idea.

When your alarm goes off in the morning, you get out of bed, right? Most vehicle thefts happen at night, so when your bike is parked within range of your wireless network, it logs on, authenticates, and the program starts monitoring.

You can still log onto the web interface - that is unchanged. Perhaps an option would be if the weight is shifted (accelerometer), the horn starts honking or something.

Surely it can cause an interrupt on your PC and blast damage, inc. by metallica You can grab your favorite lil' slugger and go to town on their truck, while your concerned girlfriend calls the cops.

How's that for peace of mind?

[pherako]

I would pay $50-$60 for a body-integrated locking system. Something less unwieldy than the bike locks I use now (overnight unattended, outlying neighborhoods, etc) and not something one is prone to driving through the front forks and caliper when forgotten about.

Ignition lock is not sufficient to prevent loss and my bike doesn't handlebar-lock either, I think an improved integrated lock would be as valuable as any of the options you have presented...

I would buy one.

how bout forget the key. push-button start, like the vette? replace the handlebar lock with a solenoid as an option.

I figure, if cars are fancy enough to get cool options, why not bikes? sure, it adds weight, but not all of us are track stars.