Superpedestrian

Superpedestrian Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, develops technological solutions to improve urban mobility worldwide. Superpedestrian specializes in micro-mobility technologies which enable the development of small-scale electric vehicles that can sense and adapt to the road and the driver. The company works with ride-hailing and electric bike sharing companies to create electric-bike fleets optimized for safety, reliability, and enjoyable riding experiences. Their consumer-facing product, the Copenhagen Wheel, is the first human-enhancing transportation technology available to the mass market.

Superpedestrian Inc.
Private
Industry Electric bicycles, Robotics, Transportation, Ride-sharing
Founded 2012
Headquarters Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Key people

Assaf Biderman, founder and CEO of Superpedestrian;[1]

Gil Arbel, COO;

Carlo Ratti, Strategic Advisor;[2]
Website www.superpedestrian.com

History

Superpedestrian's first product, The Copenhagen Wheel, was developed at MIT’s Senseable City Lab in 2009 in partnership with the city of Copenhagen, and unveiled at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference. In December 2012, Assaf Biderman, a co-inventor of the Wheel and Associate Director of the MIT Senseable City Lab, founded Superpedestrian to commercialize the Wheel. After several years of engineering, testing, and validation, the Copenhagen Wheel officially launched in April 2017.

Background

The world is currently experiencing the fastest wave of urbanization in human history, leading to unprecedented levels of traffic congestion. Superpedestrian’s vehicle technology was developed in direct response to rising urban populations and urban transportation demand. The current average car in the U.S. carries only 1.55 people per vehicle, but occupies enough road space to fit five[3]. Many people assume that self-driving cars in the future will be used as shared vehicles, but research shows it is unlikely that autonomous vehicles will be shared for the majority of the time. Even with a steep discount in the price of a ride, surveys show only 52% of riders will be willing to share an autonomous vehicle[4]. As a result, we are unlikely to meet future transportation needs without turning to micro-mobility - one-to-two person vehicles that enable individualized trips while taking up less road space.

Superpedestrian’s first foray into micro-mobility was through the bicycle. Bicycles have always been the most popular form of single-occupancy vehicle. However, since their introduction, the average city has grown 20x in land area, while the bicycle has evolved very little. As a result, the bicycle is no longer a viable transportation solution for the many people who commute through these expanded cities. Electric bicycles offer the opportunity to transform the humble bicycle into a compelling alternative to the car.

Products

Copenhagen Wheel

The Copenhagen Wheel is a rear wheel electric bicycle system that fits most existing bicycle frames - requiring a metal frame and V-brakes. It replaces an existing rear wheel, transforming the bicycle into a smart electric hybrid/pedelec. The Copenhagen Wheel contains a custom brushless motor, advanced sensors, control systems, and a lithium-ion battery, all contained within the hub of a single rear bicycle wheel. Combining actual torque, power, cadence, pedal position, and acceleration sensing with high-speed controllers and actuators, the Wheel generates power that is seamlessly synchronized with your pedaling. It’s just like riding a bike, but with a superhuman boost. Bluetooth connectivity enables riders to personalize their cycling experience from their smartphone with ride modes such as Turbo, Eco, and Exercise. A smartphone also acts as a digital key, activating the Wheel automatically when ready to ride, and communicating with the cloud in real time. A self-diagnostic safety system monitors components within the Wheel and proactively responds to events within milliseconds, protecting both rider and Wheel. Electronic Braking Assistance allows riders to brake and recharge the battery simultaneously, simply by backpedaling. Finally, with over-the-air updates, the Wheel improves with new features over time.

The Copenhagen Wheel is available throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Superpedestrian has manufacturing facilities in both Massachusetts and the Netherlands.

Superpedestrian offers a complete bike product as well, called Wheel + Bike. Customers can choose from a wide range of bicycle frames, from OEM’s like Marin, Public, Montague, Fyxation, Tern, Cinelli, and Fortified to pair with the Copenhagen Wheel. Superpedestrian also works with over 260 independent bicycle retailers across the United States and Europe to provide demos, maintenance, and installation services.

Bike-Sharing

Superpedestrian works with ride-hailing and e-bike-sharing companies worldwide to create fleets of small electric vehicles optimized for safety, reliability, and seamless riding experiences. As the industry expands to include e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds, fleet operators contend with the challenges of managing and maintaining large numbers of motorized vehicles. Building on Superpedestrian’s robust sensing, monitoring, and control systems developed for the Copenhagen Wheel, Superpedestrian offers solutions to common fleet operation problems. Their platform allows operators to remotely monitor fleet health, boost maintenance efficiency, manage user accounts, and improve customer experiences, leading to lower operating costs and increased revenue.

Future Products

Superpedestrian is currently working on future versions of the Copenhagen Wheel with updated features and wider compatibility requirements. In the meantime, they offer over the air firmware updates to current riders.

Funding

Superpedestrian has raised more than $43 million in venture capital investment from firms including Cambridge-based General Catalyst and Spark Capital. Additional investors include Tony Fadell, Charles Kim, Jared Leto, Xavier Niel, Paul Sagan, and Christian Klingler[5].

Awards

  • European Product Design Awards – Platinum – Urban Sustainable Design 2017[6]
  • European Product Design Awards – Gold – Bicycling and Bicycle Accessories 2017[7]
  • European Product Design Awards – Gold – Design for Sustainability 2017[8]
  • European Product Design Awards – Silver – Robotics 2017[9]
  • CNBC – Top 25 Startup 2017[10]
  • TIME Magazine - Best Tech of 2017[11]
  • Red Dot: Design Concept Awards – Luminary 2014[12]
  • Red Dot: Design Concept Awards – “Best of the Best” 2014[12]
  • TIME Magazine – The 25 Best Inventions of 2014[13]
  • Deutscher Werkbund Label – Werkbund Label for design 2014[14]
  • Green Dot Awards – Winner 2011[15]
  • Living Labs Global Awards – Shortlisted 2011[16]
  • Index Award – Finalist 2011[17]
  • Edison Awards – Silver in Personal Transportation – 2011[18]
  • U.S. James Dyson Award – Winner – 2010[19]
  • World Technology Summit and Awards – Winner – 2011
  • The Grand Challenge Stories Award of the US National Academy of Engineers – Winner – 2010

References

  1. ↑ "CNBC: Upstart 25: Superpedestrian". CNBC. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  2. ↑ "Bloomberg: Company Overview of Superpedestrian Inc". Bloomberg. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "National Household Travel Survey". nhts.ornl.gov. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  4. ↑ "Are we ready for self-driving cars?". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  5. ↑ "Superpedestrian | Crunchbase". Crunchbase. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  6. ↑ "The Copenhagen Wheel". www.productdesignaward.eu. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  7. ↑ "The Copenhagen Wheel". www.productdesignaward.eu. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  8. ↑ "The Copenhagen Wheel". www.productdesignaward.eu. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  9. ↑ "The Copenhagen Wheel". www.productdesignaward.eu. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  10. ↑ staff, CNBC.com (2017-02-28). "7. Superpedestrian: High-efficiency bicycle wheels for urban commuters". CNBC. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  11. ↑ "These Are the Best New Gadgets of 2017 So Far". Time. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  12. 1 2 "Red Dot Design Award for Design Concepts". Red Dot Design Award. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  13. ↑ "These Are the 25 Best Inventions of 2014". Time. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  14. ↑ "The Copenhagen Wheel". The Copenhagen Wheel. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  15. ↑ Awards, Green Dot. "Green Dot Awards | Environment Awards". greendotawards.com. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  16. ↑ "Farglory Nominates Five Technologies for its new Smart Communities in Taipei". PRWeb. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  17. ↑ "The Copenhagen Wheel - INDEX: Design to Improve Life®". INDEX: Design to Improve Life®. 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  18. ↑ "Edison Awards™ - Honoring the Best in Innovation and Innovators". Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  19. ↑ "2010 James Dyson Award Competition US Winner - Design Milk". Design Milk. 2010-08-16. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  20. "Does the Wheel try to slow me down when I reach the speed limit?". Superpedestrian. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.