We're aware of the many similarities people will want to draw with Copenhagen Wheel but allow me to introduce some important differences as well:
1) Smart Wheel introduces a brand new electric motor that is thinner and lighter (and more efficient) than any other before it. Copenhagen Wheel uses regular rotary motor that's heavy and cumbersome, not to mention it's not a replaceable wheel - it comes together with the whole bicycle.
2) The GPS module might seems like the only thing that separates the Smart Wheel from the Copenhagen Wheel (it's not) but it's the difference of how they use this data that makes all the difference. Smart Wheel uses GPS data to learn about your cycling habits and routines and then suggests on how to improve them. This data can also be used to help improving the cycling experiences of other people. Copenhagen Wheel measures noise and air pollution levels and uses them for statistical purposes only.
3) Smart Wheel is opensource which means our users will be available to develop their own apps and other tools to find new innovations to using the Smart Wheel. We're already working closely with Pebble Watch and other similar devices are in the works, too.
4) Last but not least, despite being around for ~5 years, Copenhagen Wheel is still only a prototype with no sign of ever being available to the market. Smart Wheel is becoming available in May 2014.
> The Copenhagen Wheel turns the bike you already own, quickly and easily into
an electric bike with regeneration and real-time environmental sensing capabilities.
Albeit, the big caveat being point 4 you mention of course! :)
The copenhagen wheel looks pretty cool. Too bad nobody can buy it. I guess those copenhagen people can put whatever they want on their press release since they will probably never turn it into an actual product.
Ugh...I hate this type of comment. First, the lame "been done before". Then criticizes the project for being on Kickstarter. Next, references a product that is not even available (and throws in "~5 years ago" to try to really rub in how late this product is). Then admits it's different! Yuck, yuck, yuck.
GPS is not that much of a differentiator, and looking at the Kickstarter I don't see much else that is different.
The OP is right. This has been done before, and failed before. What is different about this? How will this succeed where others have failed? The site doesn't seem to address that at all.
But it has NOT been done before! The Copenhagen Wheel is not available for purchase. And even it had been done before, what's wrong with putting it on Kickstarter? There's no require for strict novelty. Finally, the project member noted some additional differences.
The FlyKly looks surprisingly similar! Anybody know why the Copenhagen Wheel isn't a thing you can buy yet? Was the technology not mature enough?
From their video it looks very similar with phone app, maps, traffic etc. I wonder how many patents they have registered on this thing. Does the Kickstarter account for that?
Jules Verne wrote a fragment that's pretty much this exact thing in 1857, modern bicycles have changed little since 1885 and Edison showed the basics of electricity in 1879. This stuff has been in the public domain for close to a hundred years! Also Verne wrote about flight in 1887 and this doesn't have it. So while it DOES have GPS and bluetooth, it still seriously underwhelms in the flight department.
Realy, other than something you can order, what does this have going for it?
The Copenhagen wheel has been around for around ~5 years and looks identical to this, sans the GPS.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/16/mits-copenhagen-wheel-tur... http://www.soullessmachine.com/2013/01/the-copenhagen-wheel-...