Smart Bikes Equipped with GPS Tracking Technology

30 May 2013

First there were smart cars, then smartphones, now there are smart bikes.

Bicycles are behind the times, in terms of using modern technology to increase the rider’s experience that is. The rider still uses turn signals manually, and most bikes don’t have a handy place to put a smartphone’s GPS tracker. But all that is about to change with the introduction of smart bikes.

An up-and-coming smart bikes is made using handlebars, called Helios Bars, which started as a Kickstarter project. These handlebars include GPS technology, turn signals and a speedometer built right in. What’s more, they can be installed on any current bike, without needing to purchase a brand new one.

Founder of the Helios Bars, Kenny Gibbs, wanted to reinvest the biking experience. He said, “Bikers’ main concerns are security and safety. 600 people died on bike rides and 40,000 were injured last year. Not to mention that 1.5 million bikes were stolen. Helios solves those problems.”

The Helios Bars have a modern, sleek design, without adding bulk to the bike. They replace the current handlebars, and aside from GPS tracking, also connect to the rider’s smartphone and have LED Lights built in. By installing the Helios Bars, any regular bike is automatically turned into a smart bike.

As far as features go, the Helios Bars include turn signals, GPS tracking if the bike is stolen, a handy headlight, a speedometer that has color-changing lights, and a full navigational feature. There are also rear-facing LED lights on the handlebars to show the rider when they need to make a turn, as part of the handlebar’s GPS navigation feature.

One of the more popular features is the tracking feature, as it can help the bike owner find their bike if it’s stolen. Since bikes are easier to steal than cars, this is important to bike owners. The GPS unit is built right into the Helios Bars, so that if it is stolen, the owner can send a text to the system, which connects wirelessly to Google Maps. The bike owner then uses their smartphone to find the location of the bike on Google Maps. The built-in reserve battery can last 15 days, so even if they remove the main batteries, the bike is still traceable.

Another feature of the smart bike is that there is a Bluetooth connection in the handlebars which connect to the person’s smartphone. When they are near to the bike, the lights turn on the greet them, with the help of an iOS app.

The Helios Bars are currently in the prototype phase, which will be produced as soon as the Kickstarter project ends it fundraising goal on June 20, 2013. While the fundraising goal was $70,000, the project has already exceeded that by more than $10,000 with over $80,000 being pledged to date. Major bike distributors are already signed up to make the Helios Bars available and functional on their current bikes.

However, bike enthusiasts can currently obtain a portable GPS tracker, like the Live Trac PT-10 for bike theft and safety protection via LiveView GPS.  These are small devices powered by an attached or internal battery pack, which can easily be removed and used for other GPS tracking needs too. Check them out today.


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