May 30, 2008

RFID Enabled Public Bike Service

by Jeff Squires

ubicycleDesign firm Continuum, the same folks who worked on the Hundred Dollar Laptop, have concepted a new type of bike share program that would allow users to rent bicycles from un-manned kiosks using the same card they use to pay for other public transportation systems.

The Ubicycle public bicycle service system’s modular kiosks would allow for easy and efficient installation and would be capable of storing 14 bikes in the same amount of space as a single parked car. Topped with solar panels for power, the kiosks could easily be install throughout the city to allow users to rent the bike at one location and drop them off at another. The RFID-embedded Smart cards used for payment would be able to be charged with funds to pay for any type of public transportation, as well as identifying the user and granting them access to the bikes.

[via DVICE]

Article categories: Design, Transport & Travel

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