Reinvent the Bike Wheel

The Copenhagen Wheel turns a standard bike into a power-assisted electric bike.

Imagine if you could transform your bicycle into a smart electric hybrid, quickly and easily. The Copenhagen Wheel was developed at MIT’s SENSEable City Laboratory in 2009, as part of a research project sponsored by the Mayor of Copenhagen.

The Copenhagen Wheel is a rear wheel replacement and turns a standard bike into a power-assisted electric bike. It pairs with a smartphone app, which readies the wheel for use and also acts as a digital “key”.

Made from a cast magnesium disc in distinctive red the Copenhagen Wheel is packed with electronics, including 12 sensors. The Wheel contains a motor, batteries, multiple sensors, wireless connectivity, and an embedded control system. The Wheel learns how you pedal and integrates seamlessly with your motion, multiplying your pedal power 3x—10x. It makes hills feel flat and distances shrink, so you can cycle just about anywhere It has some additional features like, your phone is your key. You get close to your bike, and it wakes up automatically .If it’s not you, it won’t work.

The red-disc equipped rear bike wheels have a sophisticated battery-powered drive system built with U.S.-made parts that can connect to the Internet to learn about its owner’s riding habits. The Copenhagen wheel technology, is touted by the company as something different than other electric powered bikes available in the market. Once swapped in for the standard rear wheel, it gives riders a boost by spinning the electric drive into motion when the pedals are pumped.

The Copenhagen wheel can also recharge its batteries during braking or downhill riding by converting the slowed-down turns of the wheel into electricity, similar to how hybrid cars generate new juice. Those batteries are contained entirely within the wheel making them more aerodynamic, as opposed to some other battery-powered cycles that require a separate battery pack strapped onto the frame. The wheel is also packed with a dozen sensors that can track torque, rotational velocity, linear acceleration, and more.

The whole thing also can connect to a smartphone, giving the rider a chance to connect software apps, track their rides, and even control the power being supplied by the wheel.

People are looking for an alternative for at least some of their car rides to enjoy and stay fit, and this could be a good option.

 

For more information please visit: www.superpedestrian.com

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