17/10/2013

Crowdfunding : FlyKly Launches First-Ever “Smart” Wheel for Bikes —Utilizes Open Development Platform and Data to Make Riders and Cities More Savvy

FlyKly Smart Wheel and Integrated Mobile Application Provide Users with the Most Sophisticated Riding Experience Company Integrates Smart Wheel for Bikes with Pebble Smartwatch

BROOKLYN, N.Y.-
 FlyKly, the company bringing bike riding into the 21st century, today announced the launch of the FlyKly Smart Wheel. Built for the modern age, the FlyKly Smart Wheel is the world’s first intelligent wheel for bikes and houses a powerful proprietary electric motor that is capable of zipping riders along at up to 20mph for 30 miles.

Additional features include an open API and SDK, self-recharging battery, GPS and an advanced security system that allows riders to lock their bike and check on its location all from their iPhone or Android device. The company is also introducing the FlyKly Smart Light, which contains a USB port to mount and charge mobile devices while riding.

The FlyKly Smart Wheel is the first of its kind to be available for purchase and can be easily installed on almost any bike frame. Through the integrated mobile app, FlyKly learns about a rider’s patterns to suggest routes that are faster, more efficient and safer, depending upon their preference. Data collected through the FlyKly Smart Wheel’s sensors and integrated mobile app can be shared with biking coalitions and city planners to help improve biking cultures throughout the world. For example, FlyKly will be able to identify traffic patterns, accident locations, road conditions and the most highly trafficked routes to create an enjoyable and efficient riding experience for all bikers.

“There is tremendous interest in electric bikes, but the feedback we’ve heard over and over again from cyclists throughout the world is that the use case is limited. They want a bike that fits into multiple aspects of their life and provides the option to choose between power-assisted and self-powered, without requiring a huge upfront investment,” said FlyKly Founder, Niko Klansek. “With the Smart Wheel, people can easily switch back and forth between riding effortlessly while using the motor or under their own power. For example, I can engage the FlyKly motor during my morning commute, so I arrive to work fresh without breaking a sweat, and then can easily ride home under my own power to get some exercise on my return trip home.”

How it Works

The smooth transition of the FlyKly Smart Wheel motor creates an effortless and enjoyable riding experience, and the intelligent self-recharging system eliminates the need to lug cords and heavy batteries around. The motor can be fully controlled with the FlyKly app for iOS or Android, and can be throttled up or down by adjusting the rate of pedaling. With its compact, lightweight design (9 pounds), FlyKly’s Smart Wheel weighs less than any other conversion kit. The wheel provides riders with the ability to easily switch back and forth between using the wheel’s powerful motor or biking under their own power depending upon their preference at any given moment, all while providing a normal riding experience.

What makes the FlyKly truly a “smart” wheel is the incredible technology built on top of the motor. FlyKly uses built in sensors to learn about a rider and the places they ride most often in order to optimize the riding experience. The onboard GPS can provide suggestions on more efficient routes to school, work and social gatherings, alert riders via Bluetooth if their bike is being stolen, and can even help cities plan better bike lanes and learn about when and where bike traffic is the heaviest. FlyKly can also store and track a rider’s biking stats, showing distance travelled, duration, average/peak speeds, and allows users to create and share their favorite routes with friends. All data is kept anonymously and FlyKly users must opt-in before any information is shared with third parties.

With the launch of the FlyKly Smart Wheel, the company is also creating an open SDK and API to allow for multiple software applications and wearable technologies, creating an ecosystem of compatible apps and hardware. FlyKly is also leveraging other third-party platforms to enhance the riding experience for cyclists, including the Pebble smartwatch. FlyKly users will be able to see and control their speed directly from their Pebble, in addition to other great features.

"From day one, our goal was to create an open ecosystem that allows devices and software to be integrated with Pebble, so great new features can create and add to the user experience,” said Asad Iqbal of Pebble. “We’ve always considered biking to be a natural use case for the smartwatch and we’re excited that FlyKly has created a great product that will allow Pebble users to have the ability to improve their bike riding experience directly from their wrist."

The new, all-in one FlyKly Smart Wheel incorporates sophisticated technology to power riders along with ease while providing a smarter, more efficient ride. The Smart Wheel touts features including:
  • Electric, All-in-One Motor: Houses a patented electric motor, battery and sensors that powers riders for up to 30 miles at 20mph.
  • Integrated Mobile Application: Tracks riders’ speed, distance and duration as well as location patterns. Available on iOS, Android, and Pebble devices.
  • Open SKD: Enabling development on the FlyKly platform – allowing connected devices and wearable technologies to create an ecosystem of compatible applications.
  • Onboard GPS: Leverages data and algorithms to suggest more efficient routes and anonymously shares data to help cities plan better bike lanes and learn more about traffic patterns. Users can also track their bikes location via GPS.
  • Advanced Security System: In-app technology and sensors in the engine communicate to lock back tire and prevent theft. The Smart Wheel also is installed and secured with custom anti-theft screws.
  • Smart Light: Guides riders in the dark and simultaneously functioning as a phone mount and charger that uses energy created by the front tire. Additionally, the Smart Light includes a theft-proof clip-on mechanic to make sure the device is secure.
Both the FlyKly Smart Wheel and Smart Light for bikes are available for purchase on Kickstarter.com. For more information visit www.flykly.com or FlyKly’s page on Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flykly/flykly-smart-wheel



About FlyKly:

The vision of FlyKly is to reshape cities from the bottom-up to improve citizens’ quality of life by providing a more people, city and environmentally friendly solution to the problem of transportation. The company is based in Brooklyn, NY and all manufacturing of FlyKly Smart Wheel and Smart Light is done locally. FlyKly is the first “smart” wheel for bikes that is available for purchase today, on Kickerstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flykly/flykly-smart-wheel. For additional details, visit FlyKly on Facebook: facebook.com/flyklybike; and Twitter: twitter.com/flykly.

Media Contact:
For FlyKly / Paul Loeffler, 510.593.6765 / paul[at]sutherlandgold[dot]com


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