Photo credit: Maitane Iruretagoyena
Researchers at the MIT Media Lab City Science have developed an on-demand autonomous bicycle that boasts a mechanical attachment, enabling it to shift easily from bicycle mode (when in use) to tricycle mode after the rider dismounts. It seamlessly transitions from one configuration to the other by using two linear actuators that separate and rejoin the wheels as necessary.
This prototype comes equipped with two electric motors – a hub motor to drive the front wheel and a second for steering – to propel the bike when in autonomous mode. Simply request the bike using an app and it will autonomously navigate its way to the user. After the trip is complete, the bike will automatically ride to its next user or stop for a charge at a charging station.
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The current MIT Autonomous Bicycle has been ridden and tested on the MIT campus with promising results. In the coming semester, Coretti plans to further integrate the autonomy hardware and software and explore and validate new designs and business cases,” said the researchers.
