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Super (LOCK)8

There are plenty of bike trackers on the market and a lot of bicycle locks. The LOCK8 is designed as the first “smart bike lock” and acts as both a lock and tracker should the lock part be compromised. Now being developed via a Kickstarter project, the LOCK8 is a keyless system that relies on the smartphone to do the unlocking, while integrated GPS can transmit the location of the bike.

The system features a number of systems, so that if a bike is stolen the geolocator kicks in, while the smart cable will set off an alarm and send a push notification should it be cut. A gyro accelerometer will also send the push notification and do the alarm thing should someone try to cut the LOCK8 or otherwise remove it.

The idea here is that you can’t stand around and watch your bike all day, so the LOCK8 will do it for you. Video after the jump

BASF Looks to Ride Like its 1865

The High Wheel Bicycle – also known as the Penny-farthing – was a popular bicycle about 150 years ago. Could you imagine what those unique bikes might have looked like had the designers had access to today’s advanced materials?

We really never did, but BASF did and they’ve created a 21st take on the 19th century bicycle. Why? We’re not certain but it does look interesting. Video after the jump

If the Weather is Frightful Let it Glow!

Sure we report on all the latest lights that are available to help cyclists see their way in the dark, but a team in the UK is working on a glow-in-the-dark recreational path surface that glows in the dark. The Starpath is designed to absorb and store energy from the sun’s UV rays during the day and releases these at night, which allows the particles in the path to glow.

The concept could eventually be used throughout the city of Cambridge as an alternative to streetlights on foot and bike paths. What a “bright” idea! Video after the jump

It is EVENaBAG

When on the go there is sometimes no place to sit, but the EVENaBAG solves that problem. It is a chair and a bag, and a whole lot more. Rocco Kruse and Adam Bauerband of Chicago recently launched a Kickstarter project to bring this part-bag/part chair to the masses.

For those who live life on the go, the EVENaBag might be just the thing to make travel a whole lot easier. Video after the jump

Like a Guardian Angel

Guardian angels supposedly watch over us, but while these heaven sent angels might help guide the way they don’t actually monitor our fitness so much. That is where the open source sensor from Israel comes in. The Angel is designed to help monitor fitness and much more. It can track pulse, temperature, activity and even blood oxygen levels.

It can send this data to a smartphone or laptop and even fitness equipment. It features an open API so it can be a workout tracker, fertility calendar, sleep monitor and even a tele-nanny. This wearable fitness device could also be used as a golf trainer to monitor strokes while watching for irregular heart rate that could lead to a stroke!

The developers have already reached their Indiegogo funding goals and now look to deliver the Angel in April of next year. Video after the jump

To Infinity and Beyond – With a Bike Seat

When putting the long miles on a bike – whether on the road or off and whether going fast or slow – it can be a pain in the… well, you get the idea. The Infinity Seat, which was developed by Dr. Vincent Marcel of El Egundo, Calif. is reportedly the first bicycle saddle designed to minimize contact pressure and actually redistribute body weight for increased performance and comfort.

This seat weighs just 205 grams, and is thus lighter than most saddles on the market, while it also is designed to have no break-in period and should fit everyone.

We’ve seen many seats that look to provide more by going with less, and this certainly seems to be in line with Marcel’s thinking. He’s now taken his concept to Kickstarter where he hopes to get interest rolling.

Video after the jump

Microsoft Kinect Used to Help Visually Impaired Do Yoga

What is the woman in the photo above doing wrong? To those of us that don’t do yoga it looks like a typical yoga pose, but this is actually the incorrect Warrior II pose. For those who are visually impaired it might be hard to follow to visual cues when doing yoga. Now researchers at the University of Washington have developed a program, dubbed the Eyes-Free Yoga, which utilizes the Microsoft Kinect software to track body movements and provide auditory cues in real time for six popular yoga poses.

“My hope for this technology is for people who are blind or low-vision to be able to try it out, and help give a basic understanding of yoga in a more comfortable setting,” said project lead Kyle Rector, a UW doctoral student in computer science and engineering. Continue reading Microsoft Kinect Used to Help Visually Impaired Do Yoga

Hydroflex Looks to Go From the Waves to the Streets

Surfboard maker Hydroflex has created some colorful surfboards and now it is looking to take its skills to the streets with a new line of skateboards. The company has created a 3D Glassing Technology that provides a stronger, lighter and most importantly a board with increased flex. It is also waterproof, which means it can endure a little rain better than most wooden decks.

Hydroflex is not looking to a Kickstarter project to get rolling with the sidewalk surfing crowd. Video after the jump

Pretty Smart for a Fly… Wheel

Sometimes we can all use a little assistance and that’s where the FlyKly Smart Wheel comes in. It utilizes a motor that turns when you start pedaling and begins accelerating to your desired speed and stops when you need to stop.

This wheel is currently being developed via a Kickstarter project and in addition to providing some assist for riders, also can be remotedly locked and tracked if stolen. Pretty fly indeed! Video after the jump

See and Sense

The See Sense doesn’t just provide a light so you can be seen, this intelligent bike can determine the conditions around the rider and flash brighter and faster to improve visibility. Philip McAleese of Belfast has designed this sensible light and is now looking to Kickstarter to raise awareness and funds. That all makes sense to us! Video after the jump

Anyone’s Bike Lever

We’re happy to report that our friend Sue Knaup and One Street Components have launched the Kickstarter campaign for the Bike Shift Lever for Anybody, by Anybody. These levers feature a system design that can be easily repaired by just about anyone.

The project is nearly the end of the line on Kickstarter and needs your help. Even a $1 minimum pledge can help get this project rolling so that people everywhere have access to easily repairable bicycle components! Video after the jump

Most Foldable Bike Yet

There are no shortages of folding bikes to be seen at shows such as Interbike and the market is growing as commuters look for options that allow a bike to be brought safely indoors. The FUBi is no mere folding bike but one that could be the most compact full-sized foldable bike in the world.

The bike can fold so small that two FUBi bikes can fit in a single Smart Car. As the video below shows the inventors, who are currently looking to Kickstarter to get this one rolling, might just be onto something. Video after the jump

Biodegradable Board

Surfboards hit the waves, but if a board breaks or pieces chip off those can remain at sea for years and years. However, designers from Netherlands – not exactly a region thought of for surfing – has created the Bióm, the world’s first certified 100 percent biodegradable and 99 percent biodegradable bio-based surfboard foam. The material is produced via locally abundant sugarcane biomass that is polymerized and expanded into rigid foam, while the foam further boasts the ultra-eco use of benign CO2 as the sole blowing agent in the expansion process.

This foam will be used in stand up paddleboards, wakeboards, skimboards, kiteboards, and other types of watercraft.

Bióm Official Website
[Via Surfer Today: The world’s first 100% biodegradable surfboard foam]