Are you feeling the economic squeeze around your bank account? Are you feeling the polluted air contaminating your lungs? Are you feeling the fat build on your body?
Stop paying for that car. Stop contributing to carbon emissions. Stop letting those calories store into fat. And start commuting more economically. Start doing more for the environment. Start burning off those undeniable cravings. Start bicycling!
And do it with style by utilizing the latest technology… The Copenhagen Wheel, a product designed by MIT’s Senseable City Lab, was presented at the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change yesterday. A device that adds a boost to your ride, the product could be thought of as a hit of nitrous mounted to your back bicycle wheel. It’s the latest in the Biking 2.0 revolution, a movement to customize bikes through electronic mods. Carlo Ratti, director of MIT’s Senseable City Lab, explains, “[The Copenhagen Wheel] can be plugged into any bike without requiring additional electronics or wires.”
“The Wheel uses a technology similar to the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which has radically changed Formula One racing over the past couple of years,” says Ratti. In other words, the Wheel stores energy from braking and cycling for when you need a boost — it’s sort of similar to hybrid technology in cars. When I read about how the Copenhagen Wheel works, I think of the happenings on the energy monitor display in my friend’s Pruis…
The Wheel can also be turned into a speedometer, odometer, compass and real-time traffic or air quality hub. Packed inside the product lies a GPRS (general packet radio service), torque sensor and sensor kit measuring carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, noise, relative humidity and temperature. Control the wheel and utilize the sensors via Bluetooth technology. Just sync your iPhone (or other smartphone) and use the Copenhagen Wheel Application to secure your bike, change gears, control your energy boosts and view real-time information (distance traveled, average speed, calories burnt, pollution levels, air quality and traffic conditions). The application also allows the user to share the information with friends or social networks.
I couldn’t find a price for the product, probably because they haven’t gone into production just yet, but it’s said to be on par with standard electric bikes. In case you open an new tab to do the same, a rough Froogle search for “electric bikes” gave me products ranging from the low $100s to a few grand. Um. I totally want one… even if I don’t know how I’ll afford one. Ritt Bjerregaard, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, seems to want many…
“Our city’s ambition is that 50 percent of the citizens will take their bike to work or school everyday. So for us, this project is part of the answer to how can we make using a bike more attractive.”
Copenhagen is a fairly prosperous city, right? Maybe the city will buy one for everyone! Seeing as it is one of the most livable cities in the world, I could totally move there. Then after I receive my Copenhagen Wheel (from the bulk inventory that the city purchased), I’ll probably need a smartphone too. I could probably find some way to fund the phone and coverage. I suppose I could…
It’ll be definitely be an investment (especially if this Copenhagen move doesn’t end up working out), but it’s comforting to know the lock also uses advanced technology — it has a smart lock. Associate director of the Copenhagen Wheel Project, Assaf Biderman, explains the lock a bit further.
“If somebody tries to steal it, it goes into a mode where the brake regenerates the maximum amount of power, and sends you a text message. So in the worst case scenario, the thief will have charged your batteries before you get back your bike.”
In the future, the Copenhagen Wheel hopes to incorporate customization. “Be able to spec out your wheel according to your riding habits and needs,” mentions the website. More power for those in San Francisco. Perhaps an altitude sensor for those in Denver. Maybe some sort of lighting device for night owls? And blind spot warning sensors for the sometimes otherwise occupied?
Does the Copenhagen Wheel encourage you to bike rather than drive to work? Would you be interested in attaching it to your bicycle? Share you thoughts – hit that comment link!
2 comments
Lisa says:
December 17, 2009 at 9:36 am (UTC -7 )
My mother-in-law who has MS has one of these electronic bikes. She absolutely loves it. Before she couldn’t keep up with her husband and friends and now she can zoom right by them with less effort. I took the bike on a test ride – when i rode up a hill, it seemed like I was riding on a flat surface. I was very impressed with the bike!
Lansia says:
December 28, 2009 at 4:30 pm (UTC -7 )
Copenhagen Wheel have you intrigued? Check out Pedal Brain, like Nike+ but for cycling. Check it out: http://en.pedalbrain.com/home.