Would you guys pay for a CA-like App for iOS/Android?

I'm just curious, how many of you would prefer to mount your personal cell phones on your handle bar, and run an app whether it's IOS/Android that does everything the Cycle Analyst does, and more and in a awesome looking graphical user interface with rich colors and high resolution?

Just exactly how much would you pay for it? It would be convenient in a way since the controller could perhaps pair with the phone via bluetooth and transfer this data.

I'm wondering why the eBike market hasn't gotten to that tech yet. Maybe the market isn't big enough but everybody nowadays has a smartphone.

For this to happen the following must be there in the device/product.

1) I would like a proper mount for my phone. And I am sure others would want the same. Given the vast number of phone out there, good luck in building something universal. But if you do, let me know because I would be interested.

2) I would need a way to charge my phone while riding. Wireless comm to the reading device is cool, but if my phone is out of juice, it would mean moot! Hence I would like something to convert to retractable microUSB port to provide juice to my phone on long rides. For iPhone user, I would think there would be a converter.

3) the app has to be free or almost free. The complexity should be in the hardware interfacing to the ebike. Hence if I buy the hardware, I would feel cheated if I also have to pay for the app which only works with the provided hardware.

4) This is a big one. It should have the option to display Google maps at the sametime the CA stuff. This might be hard to do until Google provide some way of doing it. Since I am an engineer, I know of one way, but it would nasty and overly complicated. But it is the best you can do given maps on android cannot be easily modified.

5) the source code should be GPL V2 so other people can hack away. After all, this is a community base ebike forum.

I asked speedict if they would add ca support with a Bluetooth adapter but they never even bothered to respond. I even offered that I would and many others would pay $20 in Google play store for such support.

I'd think they would overlooking a great opportunity.

Yeah, I think that would be useful, if for nothing else than to see how much juice I have left (how much watt/hours I have used). You would need some hardware to make it blue tooth compatible, but it is an interesting idea!

mattrb said:

I asked speedict if they would add ca support with a Bluetooth adapter but they never even bothered to respond. I even offered that I would and many others would pay $20 in Google play store for such support.

I'd think they would overlooking a great opportunity.

Click to expand...

I would assume because the Speedict solution is supposed to do the same thing. Why would a person buy a CA and a Speedict?

They wouldn't. The free android app would have an in-app add-on for support if they actually cared about easy new sources of revenue.

Is there any effort afoot to define a common Application Programming Interface (API) across some of the more popular motor controllers out there with external interfaces?

In addition to the CA app I see an app from Zero Motorcycles and Organic Transit providing virtual dashboards for their electric powered vehicles. (I know, odd to put Zero and OT in the same sentence...)

What other ebike industry players have external interfaces for their motor controllers and charge controllers?

The Android/iOS + their phone hardware can't do it alone; you need additional hardware to uptake the controller-provided signals and deliver them to a software interface that the platform can understand and display.

Speedict is closer to having that type of solution already; they just need another tweak or two to make a go of it. Although they may run into headroom issues; I'm not that type of dev so I really can't say for sure.

~KF

I like the idea, but...

I get a call in the middle of a ride. I pick up the phone out of it's cradle and start talking, and lose my bike's computer. all the Amp limits, speed limits, and torque throttle input are gone, and I have no way to record any data while I'm holding the phone.

Either the phone carrier, or some app decides to load some data in the background, and the phone's processor is running slow for the moment. Suddenly, a big truck appears and I need full throttle NOW!, but the phone is busy and takes a moment to respond.

It rains.

I think I would be more interested in an app that worked with a CA or other device, rather than making my bike dependent on my phone.

For Iphone??? Yesssssssss!!!! I'd pay max 5 euro.
For the interface 80 euro max

Drunkskunk said:

I like the idea, but...

I get a call in the middle of a ride. I pick up the phone out of it's cradle and start talking, and lose my bike's computer. all the Amp limits, speed limits, and torque throttle input are gone, and I have no way to record any data while I'm holding the phone.

Either the phone carrier, or some app decides to load some data in the background, and the phone's processor is running slow for the moment. Suddenly, a big truck appears and I need full throttle NOW!, but the phone is busy and takes a moment to respond.

It rains.

I think I would be more interested in an app that worked with a CA or other device, rather than making my bike dependent on my phone.

Click to expand...

Good points and well described. It reinforces the idea that dedicated autonomous hardware should be maintaining state, whilst the phone interface just provides the visuals. Also, I'd have an ear bud so I don't have to disconnect the phone from the cradle. KISS.

~KF

It should be like the audi ebike.
Check it out on youtube

You can get the app and mount for $500 from ibike.

http://store.ibikesports.com/power-meters/ibike-dash-power-cycling-power-meter

nukezero said:

I'm just curious, how many of you would prefer to mount your personal cell phones on your handle bar, and run an app whether it's IOS/Android that does everything the Cycle Analyst does, and more and in a awesome looking graphical user interface with rich colors and high resolution?

Just exactly how much would you pay for it? It would be convenient in a way since the controller could perhaps pair with the phone via bluetooth and transfer this data.

I'm wondering why the eBike market hasn't gotten to that tech yet. Maybe the market isn't big enough but everybody nowadays has a smartphone.

Click to expand...

IMO, using the phone / tablet as a user interface via Bluetooth with a free app would be good. Although a Cycle analyst type screen would be very cheap, the end user could benifit by saving on production cost and have larger and better display.
To eliminate the phone turning off - bike not working issue , a arduino or other pic could be used as the phone to controller interface. It could be a mostly 1 way communication, only sending to the pic / arduino when setting up or changing modes. Using the phones giro for extra coolness is another possibility eg Audi ebike. Considering a arduino and blue tooth module is about $20 I think $100 to $50 would be fair depending on how far the software was developed.