18/12/13 Boston Startups: Superpedestrian Releases Copenhagen Wheel | BostInno

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The Copenhagen Wheel is Commercially Ready toHelp City Cyclists Pedal Up HillsPublished: December 3rd 2013, 8:00am Read More: Tech , News, Boston Startups, Spark Capital, MIT, Cycling, Superpedestrian,Copenhagen Wheel, David Karp, AssafBiderman, Carlo Ratti, MIT SENSEable City Lab

City cyclists can start saying goodbye to hills. Cambridge-basedSuperpedestrian announcedTuesday the first commercial rollout of its Copenhagen Wheel, an MIT-spun inventiontransforming the standard bicycle into a hybrid e-bike.

"People would be much more compelled to get on a bike if it didn't feel like such an ordealanymore," Superpedestrian founder Assaf Biderman, associate director of the MITSENSEable City Lab, told BostInno.

It's that undeniable truth that sparked the company, backed by Spark Capital and TumblrFounder David Karp in October. The startup received $2.1 million in Series A financing, andhas since received hundreds of daily requests for pre-orders — roughly 24,000 to date,according to Biderman.

The Copenhagen Wheel was initially developed in MIT's SENSEable City Lab as a researchproject, sponsored by the mayor of Copenhagen. For three years, the team toyed aroundwith ideas the cycling-centric city could use to convince even more people to startpedaling. Thirty-six percent of all trips already occur by bike in Copenhagen, but the mayorwanted to send a message, explained Biderman, that "technology can have an impact on

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18/12/13 Boston Startups: Superpedestrian Releases Copenhagen Wheel | BostInno

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sustainable practices."

What launched out of the lab is a self-contained unit that snaps easily onto the back of anyordinary bicycle, and converts the energy lost when braking into an added boost of energy arider needs to pedal uphill or travel that extra mile. The Copenhagen Wheel, licensed fromMIT, can sense how hard a cyclist is pedaling and recognize the topography ahead todetermine the level of support a rider might need.

The 12-pound wheel is retrofittable to any bike,and doesn't weigh riders down with bulky batterypacks. Its rechargeable battery is expected to last1,000 charge cycles. The unit also features anintelligent locking system that fastens the bikewhen the user walks away and unlocks it upon hisor her return.

What's more, the Copenhagen Wheel can connectto any rider's smartphone, which allows for thetracking of personal usage statistics, such as distance traveled, calories burned andelevation gained. Data can then be shared with friends, creating a more social way to cycle.

"Effectively, the Copenhagen Wheel puts your bike online — at the center of your personalInternet of Things," said Carlo Ratti, co-inventor of the Copenhagen Wheel and director ofthe MIT SENSEable City Lab, in a statement.

The bike is now available for purchase for $699 at limited quantities. Shipping is slated tostart at the end of the first quarter of 2014, but will only mark the beginning ofSuperpedestrian.

"We're going to keep on releasing new products," Biderman admitted, adding that the teamwill soon be opening its API to developers looking to connect to the wheel and cater tocyclists.

With more than 60 percent of the world expected to live in cities by 2020, Superpedestriancould have a positive impact on the quality of urban life — Biderman is sure of it.

"It's something very special," he said. "Something very special."

Featured images via Nili Ohayon