Hermanns chose e-bike batteries for “safety reasonsâ€, he said, as batteries control vital functions such as brakes and electronic suspension. Batteries are already regulated by several electronics standards, but Hermanns is interested in the software-driven interaction between the components.
His team aims to develop a product called EnergyBus, which will ensure that electronic components such as batteries, sensors and chargers work together smoothly. "We do not understand what the software does, regardless of how well educated or smart we are," Hermanns, who is a professor of dependable systems and software, said in a statement.
The goal is for EnergyBus to be used as a new world standard where manufacturers will have to use a standardised plug and standardised software to power battery drives for e-bikes. This will be implemented by the International Organisation of Standardisation and the International Electrotechnical Commission. Embedded software in e-bikes will be tested against this standard to guarantee that it complies with quality and safety requirements.