Green Your Network Blog

Last week at the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change, MIT researchers unveiled the Copenhagen Wheel. The initial prototypes of the Copenhagen Wheel were developed along with company Ducati Energia and the Italian Ministry of the Environment.

As an avid cycler, this product is for me, one of the most exciting and practical ideas I have ever discussed in this blog.
This state of the art wheel technology actually boosts power! The Wheel can store energy every time the rider puts on the brakes, and then give that power back to provide a boost when riding uphill or to add a burst of speed in traffic.
In addition to giving you a push, this wheel can do so much more. By using a series of sensors and a Bluetooth connection to the user’s iPhone, the wheel can monitor the bicycle’s speed, direction and distance travelled. It can also keep track of friends, fitness, smog and traffic.

Ideally this revolutionary product will promote cycling by extending the range of distance people can cover and by making the whole riding experience smoother and more fun. Now those steep inclines will no longer be a barrier to comfortable cycling.

Bicycling is already gaining popularity in many cities around the world, and rightfully so. It is good for the environment (as an alternative to driving), good for you, and most importantly, it’s fun!
New York City officials say it’s the fastest-growing mode of transportation and the number of cyclists in NYC has jumped by 80 percent in the past decade.

It is expected that the wheel will go into production next year, with a price tag competitive with that of a standard electric bike. Additionally; it’s easy, the bike wheel contains all you need so that no sensors or additional electronics need to be added to the frame and an existing bike can be retrofitted with the blink of an eye.

Pretty Cool, Right?!?!?

Check it out on YouTube:

See related article here:
http://web.mit.edu/press/2009/copenhagen-wheel.html

By Joshua Levitt
Managing Director for UsedCisco.com