Cyclists given wheel boost
A new bicycle wheel, developed by researchers at MIT, can store energy every time the rider puts on the brakes, and then give that power back to provide a boost when going uphill or to add a burst of speed in traffic.
But there are also a variety of extra functions hidden within the hub of the new wheel, which is designed to be easily interchangeable with any standard bicycle’s rear wheel.
By using a series of sensors and a Bluetooth connection to the user’s iPhone, which can be mounted on the handlebars, the wheel can monitor the bicycle’s speed, direction and distance travelled, as well as picking up data on pollution in the air, and even the proximity of the rider’s friends.
The resulting data can help the individual rider - for example, by providing feedback on fitness goals - and help the city (if the user opts to share the information) by building up a database of air quality, popular biking routes or areas of traffic congestion.
All of the generating, power assisting, sensing and communications equipment fits inside a plastic housing in the hub of the wheel, connected to the standard rim by a novel system of spokes.
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