This is by far one of the nuttiest things I have ever seen…let me just give you a quick rundown of what this whole thing is before we get to any opinions on the idea. For starters, this is a concept idea straight out of MIT Senseable City Lab…so you know it’s some next level, high tech stuff. Basically, the purpose of the Copenhagen Wheel is to store energy when you pedal, coast downhill, or brake your bike, and give you a boost when you go uphill.
“Smart, responsive and elegant, the Copenhagen Wheel is a new emblem for urban mobility. It transforms ordinary bicycles quickly into hybrid e-bikes that also function as mobile sensing units. The Copenhagen Wheel allows you to capture the energy dissipated while cycling and braking and save it for when you need a bit of a boost. It also maps pollution levels, traffic congestion, and road conditions in real-time.
Controlled through your smart phone, the Copenhagen Wheel becomes a natural extension of your everyday life. You can use your phone to unlock and lock your bike, change gears and select how much the motor assists you. As you cycle, the wheel’s sensing unit is also capturing your effort level and information about your surroundings, including road conditions, carbon monoxide, NOx, noise, ambient temperature and relative humidity. Access this data through your phone or the web and use it to plan healthier bike routes, to achieve your exercise goals or to meet up with friends on the go. You can also share your data with friends, or with your city – anonymously if you wish – thereby contributing to a fine-grained database of environmental information from which we can all benefit.”
So that is definitely pretty crazy…check out the video below if you want to be even more blown away…you can change gears with your cell phone? really? It’s crazy that technology can allow for this sort of thing to exist…but why? It’s so unnecessary and not very functional in my opinion. I foresee old dudes who are all about technology and impressing their friends being into the Copenhagen Wheel…its just a new toy to show off.
Speaking of new toys, check out these high tech cycling accessories on eBay below: