Wireless Crankarm Dynamometer for Cycling

This report describes a new crankarm dynamometer designed to evaluate the strength produced by cyclists in real conditions. The dynamometer was designed to be fitted on a conventional crankset while data were transmitted via wireless communication channels available on a BluetoothTM module. Some 3D solid models were created in the SolidsWorks2010TM development environment to analyze the static and dynamic characteristics, by using the finite elements technique. Each crankset arm was used as a load cell based on strain gages configured as two Wheatstone bridges. The signals were conditioned on a printed circuit board attached directly to the structure. As a result, the load cell shows a maximum nonlinearity error between 2.1 % and 2.8 %. Some tests were performed on a cycling trainer, allowing to evaluate the system's functionality and to determine the involved forces in the crankset.