A new bike-share system innovating urban mobility in several ways.

Detailed Description:
'COBI' is a new urban bike-share system featuring a low unisex frame stripped to essentials for a cool, smooth biking experience. All components are made from recycled materials. It features GPS for riding stats; CO2 saved, calories burned and km driven. Fully integrated with social media to share rides online. The bike is unlocked by sms, apps, RFID phone or pay-card or over the web. The system encourages user maintenance by offering 'karma points' to users who help maintain the system.

Know drawbacks of design:
To achieve all goals as set out, more R&D needs to be put into e.g. the locking mechanism which is of a new and innovative nature, but yet untested.

Website:
http://mortenengel.com/design/copenhagen-bike/

Designed in:
2010

Status of realization:
Prototype

Keywords:
environment, health, leisure, lifestyle, mobility, public space, sports, urbanism

Form
Urban cycling has to be cool. We striped the bike down to essentials and gave it a simple and sporty look. Colors vary to dissolve the perception that they are part of a massive system. This accentuates multiplicity and individualism without losing grasp of the bicycle’s unique, visual expression. The design quotes existing urban landscape to integrate without visual clutter. The frame is low which makes it safe and easy to use. This especially encourages biking amongst, women, elders and children who prefer a low frame design. Saddle and handlebars are easily adjustable with large levers, to accommodate people of varying sizes. The chain is a carbon belt drive which is silky smooth to ride, has no grease and is zero maintenance. All technology and lock mechanism is integrated within the frame, for protection and a streamlined look. The bike stands are kept minimal and provide a stationary access-point for the bikes. All other access is handled via smartphone, the web etc.

Impact
Cycling is the fastest growing trend in urban mobility worldwide. Benefits are huge; Less congestion, less CO2, less pollution, better mobility, healthier citizens and better quality of life. The challenge now is winning more people over and making it even more attractive to ride bikes. COBI is, unlike most bike-share systems, fun, fast and fresh. We designed it to be attractive enough to try out in the first place. The target group is commuters who use it from the train-station to work, tourists for sightseeing and regular citizens for when their own bike is out of service. We make it fun with pop-up shops offering advice, tours, air in your tires, lend out helmets and maps and help build a community around the system. We improve shared responsibility by introducing an incentive structure where the user is rewarded for e.g. returning a bicycle to where the demand is highest. The shared responsibility aspect is a major downfall of e.g. the Paris bike-share system.

Context
The people who primarily benefits from the design are: Commuters, tourists, citizens. The design is mostly about further improving cycling in cities. We make it EASY by providing numerous ways to access the bikes. We make it FUN by using modern technology to make it a light, fast and fun bike to ride. We make it SOCIAL by letting the bikes provide user feedback on CO2, calories and kilometers and by integrating with social media to share rides, statistics, and routes. Much of the improvement are small details which make a huge difference. We invented a locking system, which allows you to lock your bike outside of the designated stands, if you want to go shopping, or have a coffee mid ride. We also put emphasis on the city context of which the bikes integrate. Colors and fittings can vary to provide a unique visual integration into a city. All in all it is about improving urban cycling and getting more people to join the fast growing revolution.

Other relevant information
The design was developed as an entry for the international competition organized by the municipality of Copenhagen, the worlds best bicycle city. Therefor expectations were already high. We won a 2nd prize. Now we want to further develop the idea and bring it to life.

Proven and/or potential effects:
The design has already won a 2nd prize in an international competition organized by Copenhagen municipality in conjunction with COP15 in 2010. http://www.cphbikeshare.com/winners.aspx So the interest and acknowledgement is definitely there. We just need investors and cities to take interest.

Is the design protected by patent or ip registration?
none

How has the development of the design been financed hereunto?
Personal investment

Is there a plan for future investments?
Not known

Is there in-house competencies to secure market roll out of the design, with regards to investment, distribution, sales, etc.?
Not known

Designed by:
Morten Emil Engel, Designer, www.mortenenegel.com, Architect, Denmark, Copenhagen, Morten Emil Engel Studio
Kaspar Bark Grundahl, Designer, -, Architect, Denmark, Copenhagen, DAARK, Architude

Manufactured/Produced/Commisioned by:
CITY OF COPENHAGEN Technical and Environmental Administration Department of Traffic
http://www.cphbikeshare.com/