Massachusetts-based venture backing company Superpedestrian have developed the 'Copenhagen Wheel', a device which sits on the wheel of a bicycle and helps riders travel faster, essentially turning a bike into a moped hybrid. Inundated with requests since it was first conceptualised at MIT's SENSEable City Lab back in 2010, it is now finally available to pre-order.

As the bike is pedalled, the unit stores energy, which enables the bike to travel quicker when the cyclist is pedalling harder, for example uphill. It even collects energy when riding downhill or when the user brakes.  Superpedestrian aim to preserve the regular biking experience by not including a throttle, but instead providing the user with a boost when c ertain algorithms have been calculated and it senses they need it.

The Copenhagen Wheel takes 4 hours to fully charge and can last up to a 1000 cycles, reaching a top speed of 20mph/25km/h and a range of up to 31miles/50kilometres. An accompanying app, which is compatible on both iOS and Android devices, allows users to get more from their wheel by being able to lock and unlock it, track personal statistics, choose customisable rides and share this information with friends.

Pairing this sort of innovation with that of Helios, it seems a truly smart bike is not too far away.