Mind-Controlled shifting on Prius bike

This Toyota sponsored project was mentioned here on PC some six
months ago. Its too cool to be to let go without additional exposure.

Using a special helmet, the Prius X Parlee (PXP) can shift gears when
you think about, well, shifting gears. And this futuristic tech may be
between your legs and one the open road in production form in 2013,
according to new reports. As Parlee puts it, "the PXP concept bike ...
blends the simple with the complex to become a better and more
efficient version of itself."



Aside from reading brainwaves, the PXP can use a smartphone to
show the driver how efficiently the engine (i.e., the body) is operating,
just like the Prius' info screen does. The bike can also remember past
behavior and, for example, downshift the next time you ride past a
place where you downshifted before.
The Prius X Parlee bike concept can read your mind, literally

Building blog: Toyota Prius Projects Archives

Cost? Complete bike $7200.

 

I agree that the "mind control" would be risky business in full out
competition. Although I trained on the Marymoor Park velo in
Bellevue, WA many years ago, all this intrigues me only from a
"thought experiment" perspective nowadays.

I too thought that the Parlee bike was not really Prius-like in its not
having a Power Split Device and a way to save otherwise lost energy.

Even though there was some concern at last years Tour de France that
there might be some possibility of secret electrical motors,
I didn't realize that there were such systems currently on the open
market. It looks to me that the way to incorporate regen would be with
the generator in a wheel hub with circuitry to activate regen only
when the pedals/crank were not rotating. Maybe a regen on command
switch in the rear brake lever assembly.

 

Daniel,

What the hey! Would you just cool your jets.

I guess Parlee gets to call it a Prius because Toyota is sponsoring the
project and they have no problem with it, whatever its limitations.

Despite it being said in the 10th week entry in the building blog --
you took the time to read them didn't you? -- that, "We all watched in
amazement as the bike began to shift. With each pedal stroke, the
rider became more comfortable controlling his cadence and moving
through the cassette," in general the replies here are skeptical of the
mind control shifting mechanism. Which doesn't actually address
reliability. OK, but in fact, we have no real data on which to say that
the mechanism is unreliable.

My point? I don't understand why in the face of the general attitude of
mild skepticism you consider it necessary to inject invective into what
is otherwise a pleasant discussion of a topic that has little likelihood of
having real impact on the cycling community as a whole, never mind
on any of us in particular. What's your hang-up here?