ADO Sense 3.0
In the automotive industry, it's not just drive technology that has advanced in recent years. A vehicle's ability to perceive its surroundings is also playing an increasingly important role. Sensors detect obstacles, monitor other road users, and provide information about the current traffic situation.
In contrast, e-bike development has long focused primarily on greater ranges, lighter frames, and the most natural motor assistance possible. What happens on the road still almost exclusively falls to the rider.
ADO aims to change that with Sense 3.0. The new system was developed for use on e-bikes and combines two different sensor types, each monitoring a separate area around the bicycle.
LiDAR scans up to 20 meters ahead
A LiDAR sensor is used at the front of the e-bike. During the ride, it continuously scans the area up to 20 meters in front of the bicycle and generates three-dimensional environmental data in real time.
LiDAR works by emitting light pulses. Distances and spatial structures can be determined based on the time these pulses take to travel to an object and back.
According to ADO, Sense 3.0 is designed to detect obstacles, the road's course, and changes in the surface. This gives the system a spatial image of the area the e-bike is approaching. This information could help identify challenging situations earlier and make riding through complex urban environments smoother.
Radar monitors traffic from behind
While the LiDAR scanner looks forward, a millimeter-wave radar at the rear monitors traffic behind the bike. The sensor is designed to detect objects approaching the e-bike from behind and determine both their position and speed.
For blind spot detection, ADO specifies a monitored area of five by five meters. According to the manufacturer, the so-called lane change assist extends up to 40 meters to the rear and covers a five-meter-wide corridor.
This would allow the system, for example, to register approaching vehicles before they are directly next to the e-bike.
Both sensors work together
The LiDAR at the front and the radar at the rear do not provide their data independently. Sense 3.0 combines the information from both sensors through a process called sensor fusion.
This creates a more comprehensive picture of the immediate traffic situation. The LiDAR scans the road ahead, while the radar simultaneously monitors what is approaching from behind. ADO aims to cover areas that the driver cannot constantly monitor while driving.
“We believe that the next generation of e-bikes should not only provide electric assistance to riders, but also a genuine understanding of their surroundings,” explains Sen, founder of ADO E-Bike.
Sense 3.0 is not intended to replace the driver. Rather, it aims to gather additional information from the surroundings and make it usable for assistance functions.
Combination with an automatic transmission
ADO also links environmental sensing to automatic shifting systems. Such systems typically select the gear based on riding data such as speed, cadence, or power output.
Additional information about the route could provide a further basis for the e-bike's tuning in the future. This would make it conceivable that electric assistance and gear selection could react not only to the rider's input, but also take the specific riding situation into account.
How close ADO Sense 3.0 The company has not yet revealed whether the combination will actually be integrated with the motor and gears. The manufacturer currently describes the combination primarily as a preview of future e-bike generations.
Source: ADO
