Cycling News: New Copenhagen Wheel Makes any Bike Electric

The Copenhagen Wheel was first introduced in 2009 as a prototype from MIT’s SENSEable City Lab. The idea behind the wheel was that it could make any bike electric. Well, good news for cyclists: Superpedestrian Inc, a venture-backed company based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is promising the Copenhagen Wheel will make its debut to the public next month.

According to Fast Company, Superpedestrian founder Assaf Biderman, who is also the SENSEable City lab associate director and one of the creators of the wheel, won't reveal too many details until its launch, but here's what we do know:

The wheel can be fitted to almost any bike, and it has a power assist feature that doesn't require any work on the part of the rider (the wheel is automatically controlled by sensors in the pedals). Its range "will cover the average suburban commute, about 15 miles to and from work and back home," according to Biderman.

A regenerative braking system stores energy for later use in a lithium battery. And while the wheel comes with an app that locks and unlocks the bike, selects motor assistance, and offers real-time data about road conditions, an open-source platform called The Superpedestrian SDK will let developers work on their own wheel-related creations.

Superpedestrian is planning to introduce first-ever commercial model of the Copenhagen Wheel in November. In the meantime, you can read more about it on their website.

Via: Fast Company

(Images: Superpedestrian)

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