Intelligent Mobility - eVelofin for safe and fun urban e-biking

- EIT ICT Labs present smart e-bike innovation at GSMA MWC 2013 in Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- EIT ICT Labs presents eVelofin, an innovative e-bicycle fleet management solution that integrates ICT components from bicycle modules through the smart phone to a backend platform in the cloud. Bicycles are provided with a system covering patent-pending technologies for basic fleet management (security and authentication), advanced fleet management (surveillance and maintenance), active safety, and added-value applications. Customers are companies, institutions, and authorities renting out e-bikes.

Battery-powered e-bicycles or pedelecs are increasingly popular* and they allow higher speeds than regular bikes. "Bicyclists are vulnerable road users, and now more bicyclists are facing the danger zones of urban cycling," says Dr. Christian Muller, leader of the "Intelligent Mobility and Transportation Systems" action line at EIT ICT Labs and senior researcher at DFKI. "The active safety functions implemented in eVelofin prevent accidents that might occur for instance when a door of a parked car is opened when a bicycle is passing by. Active safety is one of several focus topics of the action line."

The system also includes added value applications such as tourist guides and assistants for health and fitness. These apps run on a framework for Android smart phones, supporting flexible extensions and third party applications. The backend platform supports service provisioning, fleet surveillance and maintenance.

The specific role of EIT ICT Labs in the innovation was to mobilise and integrate the various technical and business skills required to transform an excellent research prototype to a marketable product. "eVelofin is a brilliant low-threshold and sustainable product for a healthy everyday life for everyone," underlines Willem Jonker, CEO of EIT ICT Labs. "We are proud to co-deliver this added-value innovation by teaming up with Schlaues Bike and the DFKI spinoff company white_c."

The eVelofin prototype will be presented to the public in Hall 6, Stand 6A35. A fully equipped e-bicycle and accompanying presentations will provide insights into the functions of the backend platform. eVelofin has been developed by Schlaues Bike in Saarbrucken in collaboration with white_c with the support of EIT ICT Labs. The product will be available for the market through Schlaues Bike.

*Source: Zweirad-Industrie-Verband (ZIV), German Bicycle: a total amount of over three-and-a-half million e-bikes have been sold in Europe since 2009 altogether, about one tenth of total bicycle sales.

About EIT ICT Labs

EIT ICT Labs is one of the first Knowledge and Innovation Communities set up by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, as an initiative of the European Union. EIT ICT Labs' mission is to drive European leadership in ICT innovation for economic growth and quality of life. Since 2010, EIT ICT Labs has consistently brought together researchers, academics and business people. By linking education, research and business, EIT ICT Labs empowers ICT top talents for the future and brings ICT innovations to life. EIT ICT Labs' partners represent global companies, leading research centres, and top ranked universities in the field of ICT. For more information, visit www.eitictlabs.eu.

About white_c

white_c is a DFKI and EIT ICT Labs spin-off company in the area of Intelligent Mobility and Transportation Systems. DFKI, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, is the leading German research institute in the field of innovative software technology. For more information, visit www.white-c.com.

About Schlaues Bike

Schlaues Bike was originated in 2010 as an initiative for eMobility based on eBikes – with unique specifications and features for corporations, institutions and municipalities. Since 2012 Schlaues Bike cooperates with white_c, DFKI, and EIT ICT Labs, developing innovative components and softwares for eBikes.