Rover Development has launched its patent pending PSIcle sensor that allows riders to check tyre pressures quickly before road and gravel rides, and fine-tune during, with the PSIcle app. The Kickstarter page has already raised £9,981 towards its £24,794 goal, and there’s 27 days to go.
Battery-free, the PSIcle sensor is fully powered and read by the near field communications (NFC) reader on smartphones.
By holding the back of your phone within 25mm of the sensor, Rover Development says the Android and iOS app will automatically open and display the measured pressure and temperature.
“The phone’s NFC reader creates a magnetic field that passive NFC tags use to generate enough electrical energy to reply to the NFC reader,” explains Rover Development.
“We have harvested some extra energy to power the pressure sensor, take a measurement, and reply to the phone with the measured data.”
Rover Development says the sensor allows riders to check pressure quickly before or during a ride, gauge pressure when fixing a mid-ride flat and fine-tune pressures for terrain conditions on gravel outings.
The PSIcle sensor weighs in at a claimed weight of just five grams. The extension is 40mm long, and the sensor housing is 6mm thick and 22mm in diameter.
“Moulded in EPDM rubber over an anodised aluminium valve extension, it is air and watertight, and can withstand hard hits from rocks or whatever your biking throws at it,” says Rover Development.
Unlike tube-based sensors such as Tubolito’s smart inner tube, the PSIcle is resuable as it can be unthreaded if you get a flat and transferred onto a new one.
There are two models to cover road and gravel riding. The LP model covers 0–40 psi with a pressure accuracy of +/- 0.06 psi, while the HP has a range of 0–400 psi and +/- 0.7 psi accuracy.
Rover Development claims the sensor can work with sealant. “The sensor can even read accurately if a thin membrane of sealant completely covers the pressure inlet,” says Rover Development.
By pledging $56 (that’s just under £40) you’ll receive 2 PSIcle sensors for estimated November 2021 delivery.
All the usual Kickstarter rules and regulations apply which can be found here.
The Rover Development PSIcle Kickstarter page can be found over here.
13 thoughts on “Smart tech to check your tyre pressure? Rover Development launches wireless battery-free PSIcle pressure checker”
It’s one of those gadgets
It’s one of those gadgets that years ago I’d of purchase thinking I really needed it, only to use it once and pop it in a cupboard.
I have a road bike where I pump the tires up weekly. So I’m not the intended audience really. Cool idea though and look forward to future versions being smaller.
A number of cycling sites
A number of cycling sites were misrepresenting this yesterday by implying it could provide live data when you’re riding and then knocking it down whilst explaining it couldn’t.
I quite like the idea. I have an app on my phone for quickly indentifying the tension on my Gates belt drive thereby simplifying the process of belt adjustment so having another app that quickly tells the pressure without having to use a pressure gauge or track pump, plus losing air out of the tube, sounds useful.
Tyre pressure sensors have been around a good while for vehicles so why not bikes, possibly more for casual cyclists who check such things less regularly.
I hope they though about how
I hope they though about how tricky can be getting both checkers aligned with the wheel to maximixe aero gains 😀 (imagine one/both of them perpendicular to the wheel when fully tighten up)
If they can put this tech in
If they can put this tech in a tubeless valve I’ll buy it. There’s plenty of space in a tubeless tyre. I don’t want a lollipop looking thing like this.
sparrowlegs wrote:
better to keep the business end as far away from sealant as possible
Does anyone pump their tyres
Does anyone pump their tyres up to 400 psi ?!
you do it, I’ll watch from a
you do it, I’ll watch from a safe distance….
Thought it might be a typo
Thought it might be a typo but it is the same on the kick start page. Highest tyre I have had is 102 psi – what’s the highest it can be? And wouldn’t the accuracy be better with a smaller range?
hirsute wrote:
Only when I use my super aero 6mm wide tyres
I dont know why someone would
I dont know why someone would buy this. It simple logic tubes leak air and every week you need to add air. Dont neeed an app to tell me Im not that lazy.
I pity the push notification
I pity the push notification culture victims. Soon you’ll need a push notification to take a shit.
visionset wrote:
Where you going to take it to, somewhere nice?
What happened to checking
What happened to checking your tyre pressures by bouncing the bike? Even works while you’re riding.