Like motorists, cyclists could one day benefit from the benefits of machine learning to enjoy optimal comfort. In any case, this is what a new patent filed by Japanese equipment manufacturer Shimano suggests.
While AI in the car was one of the big trends at CES 2024, in Las Vegas, bikes could soon benefit too. A patent developed by Shimano and published on January 9, 2024 by the United States Patent Office (USPTO) suggests the integration of an intelligent tool for managing saddle position, seat post height and seat adjustment. the front suspension.
The device here would take the form of a small screen attached to the handlebars on which the two adjustment modes appear: learning or automatic. In the first case, the device records the cyclist’s preferences in different situations (“I like”, “I don’t like”), in order to automate changes along the way over time. Mechanically, this translates into the presence of telescopic mechanisms which act on the position of the saddle and the adjustment of the suspension.
In automatic mode, the system will rely on habits as well as the difficulties of the route, such as the condition of the road and the elevation. It is also possible to imagine recording the different adjustments necessary for a given route.
Note that the drawing illustrating the patent is a gravel, but a priori this system could work on any type of bicycle. And as with any other patent, it is difficult to say whether Shimano will immediately develop this type of product. This nevertheless demonstrates an appetite among professionals for AI.
