COPENHAGEN (BRAIN) — Sensitivus Gauge is offering manufacturers a way to add a crank-based power meter for as little as $6.
Following two crowdfunding campaigns started four years ago, the Danish company now provides full non-exclusive access to schematics, source code, mechanical drawings, reference designs, and know-how to implement power meter technology in a crankset and develop other components, including pedal-based power meters.
Sensitivus offers crankset measurement options at the spindle, spider and arm.
"The key thing is that not many — if any — even offer the full total technology license without having some other requirements, co-branding etc.," said Sensitivus Gauge CEO Rolf Ostergaard. "We are trying to change the game by offering everything, so companies can leapfrog into this market and save the average two to three years of development it takes to become a power meter company from scratch."
According to Sensitivus Gauge, the cost of electronics generally is on a constant falling curve, and with mature technology, the cost can be low. In volume, the $6 bill of materials cost for the electronics of a crank-based power meter can now be achieved. With strain gauge costs below $1, the total cost on top of the crankset can be less than $10 depending on the style of power meter manufactured, according to Sensitivus.
"We pioneered the rechargeable battery with a magnetic charging connector in 2016," Ostergaard said. "As our first major customer was a pure MTB brand, the vibration-sensitive cadence algorithm is among the most robust in the industry, giving our technology a definite edge for both MTB and gravel. This algorithm has years of pro-level testing, and we are very happy with the performance. All in all, our technology is very mature and easy to integrate."
Full integration of the technology into a crankset can take as little as two to three months for a dedicated manufacturer, Ostergaard said.
Along with the hardware and mechanical parts, Sensitivus provides complete software setup required to run a power meter product line. This includes smartphone apps, cloud services, back-end tools, and all the test and calibration systems for manufacturing.
"With this technology being so mature and well understood, it's really mostly about getting the license to the software, a good reference design, and access to the key know-how," Ostergaard said. "We offer exactly that now."
Sensitivus offers the technology as a way for manufacturers to take the next step and stay competitive in the power meter market with a good margin.
For more details on acquiring a non-exclusive license to the technology, go to sensitivus.com.
