Implementing the connected e-bike: challenges and requirements of an IoT application for urban transportation

As local transportation systems are facing enormous challenges in consequence of extensive urban growth, technological advancements are creating unprecedented opportunities as the Internet is extending into the real world, connecting physical items to the virtual world and creating an Internet of Things (IoT). While many activities are exploring corresponding applications, e.g. connecting bicycles to the Internet, widespread economic success of a truly connected device is still outstanding. Focusing on electric bicycles (e-bikes), this study investigates challenges and requirements of an IoT implementation based on GPS trackers from a technological as well as consumer perspective. The results of a four-month field study suggest a high interest of users in data from a connected e-bike but also indicate that technological restrictions still exist e.g. concerning the completeness of collected data. Also, such limitations appear to become further accentuated in view of high user expectations towards the accuracy and visualization of data, pointing to tradeoffs, which may have to be made in the design of IoT implementations between the completeness and convenience of data collection as well as the energy consumption of a sensor and the attractiveness of use cases to consumers.