Project · draft
Bike-Mounted Road Quality and Pothole Mapper
- advanced
- 12-16 hours
SDG 11 · Sustainable Cities and Communities
Turns everyday cycling into a map of rough roads and potholes that residents can share with their ward, supporting safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians.
Safety notes
- Ride first, log second: never look at or adjust the device while moving; mount it securely so it cannot fall into the wheel.
- LiPo: use a cell with a protection circuit, check polarity before connecting to the XIAO BAT pads, never puncture, crush or short it, and stop using a swollen cell.
- Privacy: location logs reveal your home and routines; trim the start and end of every trace before sharing.
Draft and unofficial, not affiliated with Fab Academy or the United Nations. Check prices, GST and parts before you buy.
Summary
A handlebar unit logs position and vertical jolts while you ride. Back home, export the log and get a map of rough stretches and likely potholes, with timestamps, that you can share.
What it teaches
Fuse GPS fixes with accelerometer shock events, filter out kerbs and braking, log to microSD, then plot a road-roughness heat map in Python or a web map. Design a vibration-isolated, rain-resistant handlebar mount.
Topics it touches, in Fab Academy-style terms:
- Input devices
- Embedded programming
- 3D scanning and printing
- Interface and application programming
- System integration
Parts list
Parts cost
Some parts are not priced yet, so there's no total.
6 required parts are marked not priced yet below. Where a price is known it is shown per part, GST-inclusive as the seller listed it on 24 Oct 2026, with the GST rate unverified. Shipping is not included.
| Part | Qty | Unit | Price, GST-incl. as listed | Line cost | GST | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 Wi-Fi & BLE Development Boardxiao-esp32c3 | 1 | pcs | ₹734 | ₹734 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| u-blox NEO-6M GPS module with antennagps-neo6m | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| MPU-6050 accelerometer/gyroscope module (GY-521)mpu6050-gy521 | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| microSD card SPI breakout module (3.3 V compatible)microsd-spi-module | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| microSD card, 16 GBmicrosd-16gb | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| LiPo cell 3.7 V ~500 mAh with protection circuit and JST leadlipo-3.7v-500mah-jstA few hours of logging; bigger cell for long rides | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| 40x1 Pin 2.54mm Pitch Male Berg Stripheader-male-40x1 | 1 | pcs | ₹8 | ₹8 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| Male to Female Jumper Wires (20cm) (20pcs)jumpers-f2m-20cm-20Pack: pack of 20 male-female 20cm | 1 | set | ₹28 | ₹28 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| PETG 3D printer filament, 1.75 mm, 1 kgfilament-petg-1kgMount and case | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| Part | Qty | Unit | Price, GST-incl. as listed | Line cost | GST | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type C USB Cable (1 metre)cable-usb-c-1mSkip if you already have a data-capable USB-C cable | 1 | pcs | ₹65 | ₹65 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| Optional extras total, GST-inclusive as listed by the seller | ₹65 | |||||
The Part column links to the shared catalogue. Units are pcs, m, g, sheet or set, and a "set" is the seller's pack, as noted per part.
Tools you will need
- 3D printer (PETG)
- Soldering iron
- Laptop with Python for mapping
Build notes
Step-by-step build notes have not been written yet for this draft. The summary, the topics above and the parts list are what exists so far.
How to buy
There is no online checkout. To buy or import these parts, email info@curiosta.com and say what you need. The button opens your own email app with a draft; nothing is sent until you send it.
Prices on this site are third-party seller listings, not a Curiosta quote. Ask by email for availability, price and GST.