In this Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 photo, Assaf Biderman, co-inventor of the Copenhagen Wheel and Associate Director of the SENSEable City Laboratory at MIT, unpacks his bag after his late-morning arrival at Superpedestrian, his venture-backed company in Cambridge, Mass. The Copenhagen Wheel is a human/electric hybrid bicycle engine built into a bicycle's back wheel. Bidermana's day actually began at 3:00 in the morning when he participated in a European teleconference. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
December 17, 2013 - 11:24 PM
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - A Massachusetts startup company is launching a new device that transforms almost any bicycle into an electric-hybrid vehicle.
Superpedestrian Inc. of Cambridge says its so-called Copenhagen Wheel is a self-contained unit that replaces the rear hub of a bicycle wheel. It's packed with an onboard computer, batteries and sensors that determine when a biker needs a boost.
The device captures energy when a rider pedals, brakes or goes downhill and uses the power stored in its batteries to allow bikes to travel up to 20 mph when it senses that a cyclist needs help.
Co-inventor Assaf Biderman says the Copenhagen Wheel is a viable alternative for city dwellers who already own bikes and don't want to crawl in car traffic.
It was developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology's SENSEable City Lab.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013