Visualization Method for Bicycle Rider Behavior Analysis Using a Smartphone

We previously proposed a bicycle rider behavior visualization method using a probe bicycle equipped with an accurate speed sensor, a rotary encoder to measure handle angle, and a sensor to detect tilt of the bicycle body. However, the probe bicycle is expensive and inhibits wide use of this visualization method. To resolve this problem, we employ a smartphone as the sensor device. This newly proposed method focuses on the azimuth angle because the magnetic sensor is robust to the unwanted effects of bicycle body vibration. A prototype system has been implemented with an Android smartphone-the Sony Corp.'s Xperia. The visualization results generated by the proposed approach are comparable to those of the conventional probe bicycle approach. Using the prototype system, we evaluated the difference between young and aged riders. This experiment statistically clarified a decline in bicycle control for aged riders.