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Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 12:42pm
by cotswolds
I thought this was an early April fool at first, but it appears to be true. Uber are working on self-driving (their word) bicycles. https://thenextweb.com/cars/2019/01/21/uber-is-now-working-on-self-driving-scooters-and-bicycles/

The benefits are clear when you think of a rental network - bikes can be relocated to areas of high demand without expensive people, electric bikes can take themselves off to charging stations, maybe bikes in need of repair can ride slowly to a maintenance base.

But the technical problems sound formidable, and if they solve them, I fear the accident rate would be high. Enough people seem to struggle to spot bikes with riders, spotting a bike without a rider does sound quite difficult.

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 4:25pm
by peetee
And are they going to self diagnose mechanical problems and ride themselves into a workshop?

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 4:37pm
by fastpedaller
cotswolds wrote: spotting a bike without a rider does sound quite difficult.


Surely their main purpose will be to carry a "passenger"?

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 5:20pm
by pete75
What next - self eating pies perhaps?

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 5:53pm
by 9494arnold
Who is liable if a self riding bike runs into someone! ? :roll:

Self driving car , driver still present (currently) and liable if it crashes if I understand the (US) Legislation correctly.
:shock:

I have a trike that sometimes wonders off on it's own if you don't park it carefully ! :lol:

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 6:04pm
by Cyril Haearn
The Invisible Man is riding them

There are problems with rental bikes in Kassel for example, the mainline station is above the town, lots of people cycle down and get the tram back up so eventually all the bikes are at the bottom of the hill

A bit surprising for me, I much prefer cycling uphill :wink:

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 6:58pm
by Cunobelin
Google already have one........ also unlike Uber they give a release date!


[youtube]qzrdOQiRzgk[/youtube]

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 8:01pm
by Cours
Now if the self ridiing bike could nip out and get me a self eating pie... There's progress!

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 8:53pm
by hemo
Oh dear !!! Don't be taken in Mr Gullible this one was doing the rounds back last April, no need to say anymore.

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 8:56pm
by Cunobelin
hemo wrote:Oh dear !!! Don't be taken in Mr Gullible this one was doing the rounds back last April, no need to say anymore.



Oh Dear

Why do you think the date was referred to in the post (and clearly stated on the video)?

Actually April 2016......again clear on the video

[youtube]6gOjRqlgk_Y[/youtube]

Re: Self-riding bicycles???

Posted: 21 Jan 2019, 9:08pm
by Cunobelin
Cyril Haearn wrote:The Invisible Man is riding them

There are problems with rental bikes in Kassel for example, the mainline station is above the town, lots of people cycle down and get the tram back up so eventually all the bikes are at the bottom of the hill

A bit surprising for me, I much prefer cycling uphill :wink:


They need one of these:

Unique to Trondheim:

[youtube]7j1PgmMbug8[/youtube]