Development and evaluation of a novel power meter device in cycling: a proof of concept study
Translated title
Fremstilling og evaluering af en ny effektmåler i cykling: proof of concept studie
Author
Fuglsang, Thomas
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2015
Submitted on
2015-06-02
Pages
51
Abstract
Vi udviklede en enkel wattmåler ved at placere en PolyPower-kraftsensor mellem to aluminiumsplader. Enheden blev monteret mellem en cykelsko og klampen, så den kunne måle de kræfter, der opstår ved trådet og omsættes til effekt i watt. Vi sammenlignede enhedens målinger med en Monark-ergometer, en laboratoriecykel brugt som reference. I forsøg med jævne belastninger på 50, 100, 150 og 200 W samt en trinvis (stigende) test viste prototypen konsekvent lavere effekt end ergometeret. Den mest sandsynlige forklaring er, at enheden ikke registrerede kræfter i for-til-bag-retningen (anterior-posterior-aksen), og at PolyPower-sensoren havde en langsom tilbagevenden efter belastningsændringer. Begge forhold kan gøre, at målingerne halter efter eller bliver dæmpede og dermed undervurderer den reelle effekt. Resultaterne peger på, at mere nøjagtige målinger kræver registrering af kræfter i flere retninger og hurtigere sensorrespons.
We built a simple power meter prototype by placing a PolyPower force sensor between two aluminum plates and installing the unit between a cycling shoe and its cleat. The device estimates power in watts by measuring forces at the shoe–cleat interface. We compared its readings with a Monark ergometer, a laboratory stationary bike used as a reference. In steady efforts at 50, 100, 150, and 200 W, and in an incremental (step-up) test, the prototype consistently reported lower power than the ergometer. The most likely reasons are that the device could not detect front-to-back (anterior–posterior) forces and that the PolyPower sensor recovered slowly after changes in load. Both issues can cause lagged or damped force measurements and thus underestimate true power. These findings indicate that capturing multi-directional forces and improving sensor response would be needed for better accuracy.
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