The first smart, connected bicycle has been developed – featuring technology that years ago could only be found in luxury vehicles – and two of its four co-founders are former Queen’s University students.
The Vanhawks’ Valour is a bluetooth connected, carbon fibre commuter bicycle that launched this week on Kickstarter and utilizes internal electronics and smartphone connectivity to revolutionize bicycle safety and performance.
Sensors connecting to the rider’s phone enable turn-by-turn directions that are reflected on handlebar lights, indicating when turns should be made while also allowing riders to keep their eyes on the road. And ‘blind spot’ sensors trigger to vibrate the handlebars if a rider veers into traffic or another object enters their blind spot.
The Valour also utilizes mesh networking that connects bike owners for gathering and exchanging real-time information, including the location of potholes, closed roads, and blocked lanes. The system can likewise record when a road is really bumpy, has heavy road traffic, and also make route suggestions that include bike lanes or even factor in the elevations of each route to suggest easier ways to get around hills.
And if a Valour bicycle is stolen, the network interacts with other Valour bikes to send location information to the owner if their stolen bike comes near another rider.
An app incorporated into the experience informs the owner of the time, speed, and distance of a ride as well as how many calories were burned and their best time. The app will available for the iPhone, Android phones, and the Pebble smart-watch.
“With so many people turning to bikes to commute and get around town, safety is a rider’s primary concern,” said Sohaib Zahid, co-founder and CEO, Vanhawks. “With Valour, we want took the great invention of the past – the bicycle – and combined it with the great invention of our time – smart phones – to create the safest ride. We want to change the way people think about urban commuting and the Valour bike offers an easy, safe and green option.”
The Valour’s ergonomics also add to the experience. It’s carbon fibre technology mimics the construction of human bones, making it strong enough to endure even the roughest roads while, at only 16 lbs, being light enough to easily carry up a flight of stairs.
Along with Sohaib Zahid (CEO) and Adil Aftab Iqbal (CMO), Vanhawks co-founders include former Queen’s University students Ali Zahid (COO), who worked as the Graphics and Web Editor for the Queen’s Journal, and Niv Yahel, who was an AMS web developer at Queen’s.
September 2014 Update: On the one year anniversary of Kickstarter Canada, the Vanhawks Valour was reported to be the most funded project in the country to date.
For more information and videos about the Vanhawks’ Valour or to support the company by buying merchandise or placing an order for a Valour (while they last), check out their Kickstarter Page or visit vanhawks.com.
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