In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) has stood out due to its innovative concept for interconnection and wireless communication between multiple devices. Currently, the use of smart devices, sensors, and data exchange has fully permeated our lives. From home devices to industrial solutions, IoT empowers us to gather real-time information and optimize processes and decision-making.
Micromobility, a very competitive industry that is rapidly gaining popularity, faces several challenges such as safety concerns, thefts, vehicle maintenance, and fleet management. Luckily, IoT brings a promising opportunity to tackle those challenges.
In this article, our goal is to guide you to explore the synergy between IoT and micromobility. Our hope is not only to provide you with a clear understanding but also to spark inspiration for potential ideas.
Let’s start by defining what IoT is and then delve into explaining how to overcome the micromobility challenges using this technology.
What is IoT?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network where devices and systems seamlessly share real-time data, creating an ideal ecosystem for information processing and automation. A comprehensive IoT solution typically involves smart devices, a connectivity layer, data processing, and user interfaces.
The Smart Devices are equipped with sensors, actuators, and a processing unit with integrated wireless communications (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc.). In the context of micromobility, these devices utilize sensors to capture data both from within the vehicle and its external environment. Internal vehicle sensors, including the speedometer, wheel pressure, temperature, battery status (state of charge and state of health), power, voltage, and throttle position, play a crucial role in assessing the vehicle’s condition and performance. External sensors, such as geolocation, distance sensors (ultrasonic or infrared), and climate sensors (rain, humidity, temperature), contribute to enhancing the overall driving experience.
The actuators, present in some Smart Devices, execute physical actions based on processed data. For instance, an IoT system could detect unusual ride activity due to theft and remotely disable the vehicle using a switch actuator. Additional actuators found in LEV are e-motor, headlights, cooling systems, lock systems, breaks, and speakers.
Smart devices also require a microprocessor or microcontroller that acts as the brain of the device. It processes the data received from the sensors based on edge computing (near the sensors), controls the actuators, and communicates with the network using specific peripherals for wireless communication.
This is where the connectivity layer comes into play. Choosing the right connectivity for micromobility depends on the needs.
- LTE is suitable for urban environments that require high-speed data transfer.
- Wi-Fi is suitable for short-range high bandwidth data transfer communications.
- Bluetooth is suitable for device-to-device communication and data transfers that require energy-efficient short-range communication.
- Zigbee or Bluetooth mesh are suitable for providing broader coverage for multiple device-to-device communication.
- LPWA is suitable for long-range and low-power communication applications.
As Smart device processing usually operates with limited computational resources, remote servers can be used to centralize the data processing in the cloud. This expansion allows for increased complexity in the IoT system, incorporating data analytics and integrating emerging trends like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital twins to reshape the micromobility sector. AI algorithms introduce predictive analytics and pattern recognition, enhancing vehicle safety and predictive maintenance. Simultaneously, digital twins create virtual replicas of physical devices, facilitating monitoring, simulation, and analysis of vehicles.
Finally, user interfaces such as mobile apps, dashboards, webpages, or chatbots, serve as the interaction point between users and the IoT system, completing the interconnected framework for efficient micromobility solutions.
Six Micromobility Challenges and IoT Solutions
IoT has been a game changer in the micromobility Industry, below are six of the most common topics.
- Diagnostic and Maintenance:
Internal IoT sensors continuously monitor the vehicle condition and parameters such as battery health, temperature, and motor performance. This data is sent to the cloud, enabling predictive maintenance. The system can alert the user about potential issues, schedule maintenance proactively, and even recommend specific actions to extend the lifespan of components.
Also, manufacturers and operators can have insights into the vehicle to improve the product design and smartly manage vehicle fleets to prevent larger problems.
- Enhanced Safety:
Riding in modern urban centers with small but powerful vehicles can pose important safety hazards like accidents or vehicle malfunctioning. Some IoT-based safety measures are:
- Driving assistance based on speed limits or distance to obstacles.
- Customized alerts and warnings.
- Motion sensor to detect impact and trigger emergency assistance.
- Battery Management
IoT along with the Battery Management Systems (BMS) allows us to continuously acquire and process key parameters of lithium-ion batteries such as temperature, cell voltages, current, state of health, and state of charge. This can enhance the battery’s performance and ensure it operates safely at its optimum capacity.
IoT facilitates advanced data analytics, allowing for predicting battery degradation over time. This predictive capability is very useful in detecting potential failures well in advance, mitigating the risk of critical safety issues. Incorporating AI further enhances safety by enabling the detection of anomalies based on behavioral patterns. This proactive approach to identifying anomalies ensures a safer operational concept for micromobility batteries, aligning with the overarching goal of prioritizing user safety.
- Theft and vandalism:
Theft and vandalism are one of the biggest challenges in industry. These vehicles, usually parked in public places, are easy targets of criminals. Some IoT features to mitigate the problem are:
- Detection of unusual ride activity to disable vehicle.
- Geolocation tracking.
- Integration of smart locks.
- Detection of vehicle parts missing or damaged. Kill switch in case of power loss.
- Notify the owner and authority.
- Driving Experience
The whole driving experience of your vehicle can be enhanced by sensors and IoT:
- Climate and ambient conditions like rain, lighting, and temperature can be sensed and used to create a more comfortable ride by automatically setting the vehicle configuration.
- Traffic patterns, driving routes, and environmental conditions can be fed into the system to customize the user journey.
- Improving shared micromobility
IoT is the optimal solution for enhancing the shared micromobility business, benefiting both vehicle users and fleet owners by:
- Location tracking.
- Remote control of restrictions such as maximum speed or usage time.
- Use of collected data for economic analysis for the business.
- Reducing the search time of users for available vehicles, as well as parking spaces.
- Metrics about vehicle conditions, and damage reporting.
- Smart Access.
While this list may appear wide, every day new IoT applications are discovered, and solutions are created.
Conclusion
IoT has been a game changer in the micromobility Industry, below are six of the most common topics.
- Diagnostic and Maintenance:
Internal IoT sensors continuously monitor the vehicle condition and parameters such as battery health, temperature, and motor performance. This data is sent to the cloud, enabling predictive maintenance. The system can alert the user about potential issues, schedule maintenance proactively, and even recommend specific actions to extend the lifespan of components.
Also, manufacturers and operators can have insights into the vehicle to improve the product design and smartly manage vehicle fleets to prevent larger problems.
- Enhanced Safety:
Riding in modern urban centers with small but powerful vehicles can pose important safety hazards like accidents or vehicle malfunctioning. Some IoT-based safety measures are:
- Driving assistance based on speed limits or distance to obstacles.
- Customized alerts and warnings.
- Motion sensor to detect impact and trigger emergency assistance.
- Battery Management
IoT along with the Battery Management Systems (BMS) allows us to continuously acquire and process key parameters of lithium-ion batteries such as temperature, cell voltages, current, state of health, and state of charge. This can enhance the battery’s performance and ensure it operates safely at its optimum capacity.
IoT facilitates advanced data analytics, allowing for predicting battery degradation over time. This predictive capability is very useful in detecting potential failures well in advance, mitigating the risk of critical safety issues. Incorporating AI further enhances safety by enabling the detection of anomalies based on behavioral patterns. This proactive approach to identifying anomalies ensures a safer operational concept for micromobility batteries, aligning with the overarching goal of prioritizing user safety.
- Theft and vandalism:
Theft and vandalism are one of the biggest challenges in industry. These vehicles, usually parked in public places, are easy targets of criminals. Some IoT features to mitigate the problem are:
- Detection of unusual ride activity to disable vehicle.
- Geolocation tracking.
- Integration of smart locks.
- Detection of vehicle parts missing or damaged. Kill switch in case of power loss.
- Notify the owner and authority.
- Driving Experience
The whole driving experience of your vehicle can be enhanced by sensors and IoT:
- Climate and ambient conditions like rain, lighting, and temperature can be sensed and used to create a more comfortable ride by automatically setting the vehicle configuration.
- Traffic patterns, driving routes, and environmental conditions can be fed into the system to customize the user journey.
- Improving shared micromobility
IoT is the optimal solution for enhancing the shared micromobility business, benefiting both vehicle users and fleet owners by:
- Location tracking.
- Remote control of restrictions such as maximum speed or usage time.
- Use of collected data for economic analysis for the business.
- Reducing the search time of users for available vehicles, as well as parking spaces.
- Metrics about vehicle conditions, and damage reporting.
- Smart Access.
While this list may appear wide, every day new IoT applications are discovered, and solutions are created.