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SoBi Social Bike Sharing System Saves Money, Gas, Earth
SoBi, or Social Bikes, is a new bike-sharing system being developed by urban planner and bike advocate Ryan Rzepecki. SoBi uses some of the concepts and technologies behind mobile social networking to connect cyclists with bikes -- and each other -- in ways that actually save money over traditional bike-sharing systems.
Where traditional bike share systems require special docks placed at regular intervals, and sometimes special bikes, SoBi can use existing bike racks and be outfitted to almost any bike. This could reduce start-up costs from around $4,000 per bike to under $1,000. This is accomplished using a special lock-box, which is mounted to the back of the bike and is equipped with a cellular modem and a GPS receiver. The box communicates with a central server, reporting its location and whether or not it's available. A user can find an available bike by using a mobile GPS app to both locate it and unlock the box. Once in motion, the system will track movement, report data (such as calories burned and carbon offset), and locate other friends using the system.
Power for the electronics is generated by a dynamo, which is attached to the rear wheel and charges a battery while the bike is in motion, enhancing the green cred of the SoBi system. What's more, the specially designed locks are able to fit over most existing bike racks, both reducing waste and saving money.
SoBi will launch a small scale beta program in New York City (about 20 bikes) this fall, with hopes to expand citywide after that. Rzepecki and his team are hoping that the low cost and simplicity of the system will attract interest from smaller cities as an alternative form of public transportation, or even from large universities for use on campus. If you like the idea, you can help the project to raise funds by voting for SoBi in the Pepsi Refresh Project here. [From: SoBi, via: Engadget]
The Social Bicycle System from Ryan Rzepecki on Vimeo.
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