Energy efficient human hauler with enhanced safety for urban mobility

Abstract

Electric rickshaws play a vital role in urban transportation in Bangladesh, but their growing use has increased pressure on the national power grid and raised concerns about energy efficiency and sustainability. This project presents the design and implementation of a hybrid electric rickshaw system that combines human pedaling with controlled motor assistance, solar energy harvesting, and regenerative braking. The Pedal Assist Sensor (PAS) to sense the level of peddling is attached, and an Arduino-based motor controller assists with a maximum of 80 percent of the effort of the rider with a safe maximum speed. The use of solar panels and a regenerative system allows one to recharge a battery during work and become less dependent on grid electricity. The mathematical modeling, simulation, and hardware testing prove that the proposed system reduces battery usage, increases the driving range, and has more energy efficiency. The implemented model is cheap, safe and can be used in the real world, hence is a viable solution to the transportation problem in urban Bangladesh.