Integrating movement analysis and cardiorespiratory assessment in smart electrically assisted bicycle sessions- Proof of concept -

Studies have shown that riding an electrically assisted bicycle is a suitable form of physical activity for rehabilitation. The rise of connected devices has enabled the development of new wearable technologies for health assessment during cycling sessions, such as plethysmography t-shirts for cardiorespiratory monitoring and inertial measurement units for movement analysis. This study aims to demonstrate the practical and technical feasibility of embedding measurements during outdoor cycling sessions. It also evaluates the validity of these measurements by comparing them to gold-standard methods in laboratory evaluations. Two protocols were conducted: one with six participants to assess feasibility across various outdoor session profiles, and another with 20 participants to compare measurements to gold-standard methods using indoor laboratory equipment. The results indicate that a smart electrically assisted bicycle is suitable for outdoor assessment of cardiorespiratory and movement analysis. Furthermore, the embedded equipment provides valid measurements in the laboratory when compared to gold-standard methods across a wide range of activity intensities.