Message system in a bicycle wheel

After I've bought my strida folding bicycle, one of the first things I've done was to check out instructables.com for any strida related projects. And quite astonished to see that there wasn't any.

So I've planned to make an instructable that can be used on my (and also others') strida.

I think this is the first (and only so far) project in instructables, which is built around the strida.

Though my expertise is electronical engineering and solar lighting systems, I've chosen to build a propel light for the strida. The improvement to the other propel lights around the web is to use solar power and to create a totally independent light system that "lives" inside the strida wheel. There is no wires to the outside world and no need to charge either.

The image generated is much better than the shaky photo below ;)

Step 1 Electronical preparations

For the electronics, you may either go for scratch building or using some parts of a cheap solar garden light. I've done both ways. I've used this solar light that was wandering around my terrace for 2 years, one of which it was out of order.

I've disassembled it and found out it has perfectly good parts for this project.

first of them was a round solar panel. There is no fork in the unique strida bike design neither at the front nor rear. The folding ability is dependent on the magnet which connects the front-rear wheel axises. I've widened the small hole in the middle of the round solar panel wide enough the magnet mechanism of the strida wheel. By putting the solar panel in the middle, I also eliminated the balance problems of the wheel.

There are all kinds of small solar panels in these solar lights available everywhere. I guess finding a round solar panel which has got enough empty space in the middle which is enough wide to house the strida wheel axis is hard. But any other panel is ok too. all you have to do is obtain a power source which is able to deliver around 2.3v open circuit voltage and 50-200mA short circuit current. Mine is delivering 2.3v and around 200mA. its really perfect, a very lucky find.

Comments

[nmillul]

great project I'm doing it s well!
I will post my "enclosure" (from a saucer..) solution if you like, clean , no glue or wire for the spikes..it takes few seconds to be ready..!!
I'm in trouble with circuitry:
could you send me the file for PCB assemble?
better picture and a scheme!
promise I'll share
th nk bu d

[DELETED_zWhiteTigerz]

(removed by author or community request)

[hobbyman]

thanks for the nice comment.
The 10 LED design is not complete and ordinary leds are not powerful enough to be used in such a project. I'd recommend using brighter leds.

if you send me your email, i can post you the unfinished 10LED project with its proteus simulation file. 

[Arkarinum]

What should I change in the code.txt file to use it with a pic 16F628 microcontroller? Thanks!

[hobbyman]

well i guess the code sould run in a F628 without changing anything.

[robot797]

could you send me the circuit of the multiplyer

[Yerboogieman]

So...Was that a webcam?

[hobbyman]

a phone cam

[neelandan]

"This step intentionally left blank!"

[chalky]

Brilliant job buddy:) That video demonstration makes you go dizzy if you watch it too long lol:)