Attention guys! The days are gone when you could go for a cycle ride, having a satisfaction that no one knows where you going. Now days have arrived where you will be continually tracked by a satellite, no matter wherever you go. I may sound insane, but I am speaking with all my senses intact. Yes, this has been possible and the credit goes to Mr. Ryan Rzepecki for taking the dimension of science and technology to an even more greater height with the introduction of his innovation.
The term ‘Sobi’ generally refers to ‘Social Bicycle’, and these are gaining fame gradually because of the sophisticated implementations made on them. They contain GPS-enabled electronic lockboxes, which can help to locate the rider on the move. The concept is aimed at utilizing the existing infrastructure of urban and rural destinations, in mixture with mobile networking to have a dynamically managed bike-sharing system. The designer plans the delivery of the first 60 prototype bicycles this October with the complete system implementation in 2012.
The ‘Sobi’ bikes will be primarily based in central areas known as system hubs, however the rider can lock and leave his bike wherever within the system zone. There are few rules, the rider has to get accustomed to, before moving out with a ‘sobi’ bike, such as if he/she parks the bike outside the system zone, he/she will be penalized for it and the rider who returns the bike to a system hub will get the same amount as credit. The GPS technology reduces the chances of the ‘Sobi’ bikes getting stolen. Each bike in the fleet is tracked by a lockbox that has been installed onto its seat tubes.
The box is built with an on-board computer and GPS-enabled lock, and the data is communicated to and from the ‘sobi’ server. The box resembles a carry basket, and has retro-reflective paint on it, which works as LED rear lights. The users can register themselves for the ‘Sobi’ system online via computer or smartphone application, or at dedicated street kiosks, subway ticket vending machines. Once the account is created, the rider can get access to a ‘Sobi’ bike by entering his pin number on the keypad of the bike’s lockbox. The user can also access a ‘Sobi’ bike by sending a request via text message,phone call or through smart phone application.
The rider is charged based on the amount of time he keeps the bike under his possession. Once he locks the bike, the bike becomes available to other riders. Though the bike is made robust, an user may detect malfunctioning of the bike and in such cases, ‘sobi’ operators will locate the bike and address the problem. So, get ready to ride a bicycle that takes you wherever you want to go, but doesn’t let you get lost.
Via: DesignBoom
