high-tech startup launches device that transforms any bike into an electric-hybrid

Mass. high-tech startup launches
device that transforms any bike into
an electric-hybrid
A Massachusetts startup is launching
a new device that transforms almost
any bicycle into an electric-hybrid
vehicle using an app on a
smartphone. The device, called the
Copenhagen Wheel, is installed as
part of a rear hub of a bike wheel and
is packed with a proprietary
computer, batteries and sensors that
monitor how hard a rider is pedaling
and activate an onboard motor
whenever support is needed. The
device uses wireless connectivity to
communicate with the biker's
smartphone to track distance traveled
and elevation gained, share with
friends the number of calories burned
and lock the wheel remotely as soon
as the owner walks away from the
bike. "The motor integrates itself with
the rider's motion very, very
seamlessly," said Assaf Biderman,
who co-invented the device at the
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology's SENSEable City Lab,
where he is associate director. "It's
almost like having a riding companion
riding together with you, making the
ride easier, simpler." The combination
of power from the Copenhagen Wheel
and the cyclist's energy can make an
average biker move "almost like a
Tour-de-France-level athlete in your
daily commute," said Biderman, who
founded Cambridge, Mass.-based
Superpedestrian Inc. that secured an
exclusive license for the technology
from MIT.
The Copenhagen Wheel packs
sufficient power to propel a rider as
fast as 60 kph (37.28 mph), but
developers have put speed limits in
software to meet local speed limits,
effectively turning off the motor once
the speed reaches 20 mph in the U.S.
and 25 kilometers in Europe. The
concept was inspired by a simple
question: "How can we get more
people to cycle?" Biderman said. The
project received funding from the
Italian ministry of the environment
and office of the mayor of
Copenhagen, a Danish city known as
one of the most bicycle friendly
locations in the world and whose
tourism website says 55 percent of its
residents bike 1.2 million kilometers
(750,000 miles) every day. The initial
1,000 units of the Copenhagen Wheel
became available for pre-order
through the Superpedestrian website
earlier this month. Two weeks later,
at least 810 had been sold for $699
each, the majority of them to
customers in the U.S. Other orders
went to Europe, Australia, Kenya,
Madagascar and elsewhere. Shipping
is scheduled for next spring. The
Copenhagen Wheel does not replace a
cyclist's existing bicycle. Consumers
get the stylish hubcap-sized device
already installed on a new rear wheel
that fits their current bicycle. They
remove the current wheel from their
bike and install the souped-up unit
and they are ready to go. The
batteries are rechargeable. The
Copenhagen Wheel seeks to tap into
a lucrative and highly competitive
market for electric bikes, also known
as e-bikes. In a recent report, clean-
technology consulting company
Navigant Research estimated that
worldwide revenue from electric
bicycles will grow from $8.4 billion
this year to $10.8 billion in 2020,
fueled in part by desire for a viable
alternative to increasingly congested
city roads that makes crawling in car
traffic less palatable. In the U.S., the
trend is reflected in Census Bureau
data showing the number of bicycle
commuters rose 60 percent in the
decade ending in 2010. "Over the past
few years we've seen a cycling
renaissance throughout the world,"
Biderman said. "People are looking
for alternatives."
Source: Newser.
Posted by: Er_Sanch