Case Study: Bridgestone Corporation creates medal-winning track bicycles with MathWorks modeling and simulation

Building Next-Generation, Medal-Winning Bicycles for Olympic Track Cycling

Bridgestone Corporation, in partnership with Bridgestone Cycle Co., faced the challenge of developing an Olympic-grade track bicycle that perfectly balanced the minimum weight requirement with superior stiffness and aerodynamics. They needed to model the complex three-dimensional behavior of a bicycle moving at high speeds on a banked velodrome track, a task for which no existing measurement system was suitable. They worked with MathWorks Consulting and the Advanced Support team to achieve this.

Using Model-Based Design with MathWorks tools like MATLAB and Simulink, the team developed a novel measurement system. They deployed lightweight sensors and used a Kalman filter algorithm to create a kinematic model of the bicycle's behavior on the track. This allowed them to simulate performance and optimize the design, drastically accelerating prototype development. The MathWorks solution enabled Bridgestone to create a significantly lighter, more aerodynamic, and rigid bike, which contributed to athletes winning a gold medal at the UCI Nations Cup and a silver medal in track cycling at the Tokyo Olympics.

Bridgestone Corporation

Kazuo Uchida

Bridgestone Corporation