A tech startup is launching a new device that transforms almost any bicycle into an electric-hybrid vehicle using an app on a smartphone and can power Tour de France cyclists, according to reports.
According to News.com.au, the device, called the Copenhagen Wheel, is installed as part of a rear hub of a bike wheel and is packed with a proprietary computer, batteries and sensors that monitor how hard a rider is pedaling and activate an onboard motor whenever support is needed.
The device uses wireless connectivity to communicate with the biker's smartphone to track distance travelled, elevation gained, share with friends the number of calories burned and lock the wheel remotely as soon as the owner walks away from the bike, the report said.
The combination of power from the Copenhagen Wheel and the cyclist's energy can make an average biker move almost like a Tour-de-France-level athlete in one's daily commute, said Biderman, who founded Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Superpedestrian, which has secured an exclusive license for the technology from MIT, the report added.
