Bike with a brain

A chord in the cycling rift. Nike’s 2010 update for the Livestrong campaign introduced the world to Precious. Precious is a bike that travels across the States to raise money for the fight against cancer, all the while relaying witty quips and comments about its journey into the digital sphere. It is the very first bike with a brain. The innovation brings together a passion for cycling, a craving for real-time information, and the determination to combat a universal cause.

Beyond raising money for cancer, could the bike with a brain be the template for the future of transport? Already initiatives exist that embed a social element into our vehicles. The Fiat Eco Drive revolutionizes attitudes and behaviour towards driving to minimize environmental impact, and the SoBi will allow cyclists to use their phones to connect with other riders, locate, and unlock public bikes. So what if rather than the exception it would become the rule? How about this: your personal bike/car will send automatic unique twitter feeds, while in combination with household energy tracking systems and technologies like Nike+, each journey will simultaneously update an online individualized log of your exercise progress and environmental impact.