Mind-Reading Prius Bike Can Shift Gears with Just a Thought!
In Mechanics
Toyota and Parlee Cycles Team Up to Develop New Bicycle Based on Prius Design Principles
To commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the Prius and a decade of environmentally sustainable transportation, Toyota has teamed up with Parlee Cycles in an effort to create a bicycle based on Prius design principles. Both companies are known for their innovative approach within their own industries, but their goals are the same: to develop sustainable, cutting edge green design and technology.
Commissioned by Toyota, Parlee is developing this state-of the art, ultra efficient bicycle in an effort to encompass the best of both the auto and non-auto transportation worlds. To document and comment on the event, Parlee has reached out to cyclist and blogger John Watson, who has done a great job at giving us a first hand account of this exciting event.
Despite the fact that bicycle design has stayed relatively the same throughout the years, the design team decided to look at all the different possibilities, using inspiration from city, road, and touring bikes, and combining it with some Prius inspired concepts. The preliminary design sketches alluded to what the designers call an “areo road bike.
The bike frame was designed using carbon fiber tubing – a lightweight, aerodynamic, stiff and seamless material, perfect for racing – making for a good flexible bike. Although carbon fiber isn’t exactly recyclable, Parlee minimizes their waste by reusing all of their scraps in their design. The carbon fiber tubing is then covered with a raw black finish, giving it an elegant look. The mold is overlaid on the tubing along with resin.
The bike is still in development, and this is just a small taste of what is being considered a revolutionary bike. Much of the design details are being kept a secret, like what exactly the tech innovation firm Deeplocal is doing for the project. Make sure to follow John Watson’s blog, Prolly is Not Probably, for more updates as he chronicles the construction of what is sure to be a really awesome and interesting bike.
The Prius Projects Concept Bike has reached its final stage, and it has just been revealed that Toyota and Parlee Cycles are working with DeepLocal to bring some incredible technology to the green bicycle. Using a neuron helmet, the rider of the Prius bike can shift gears with their mind!
DeepLocal also designed a smartphone app to monitor heart rate, speed, and cadence. This could allow the bike to be programmed to behave intelligently in the future, remembering the driver’s behavior on a certain route and switching to autopilot mode for auto shifting. The design of the bike overall is subtle, but this type of technology has all sorts of implications in terms of futuristic features. We’re excited to see how people pick this up and run with it. See the video for more details on this unique bike.