The FlyKly Smart Wheel resembles that of the Copenhagen Wheel, built by MIT in 2009. While it doesn't claim to be the same invention at all, it does seem like it.

The Copenhagen Wheel was a replacement wheel for your bicycle that could convert your ride into a hybrid pedal/electric vehicle without any complex installation or setup. Though it never went to market, it probably inspired the FlyKly Smart Wheel, we're sure.

The FlyKly Smart Whee incorporats security and speed controls for the Smart Wheel into a smartphone app. You can lock your wheel, track your bike by GPS and even set a maximum speed for your commute. It would also save commute data and suggest alternate routes that may be safer and faster. It'll even charge your phone with pedal power, through a special handlebar-mounted headlamp/dock.



The Smart Wheel differs from the Copenhagen Wheel in one way: it is a pedal assist device. That means it will only work while you are pedaling but effectively flattens hills for you and keeps your commute at top speed. It has twice the range of the 15 mile max Copenhagen Wheel and it tops out at 20 miles per hour.

You can pre-order your own Smart Wheel over at FlyKly's Kickstarter page here for $590, exactly ten bucks less than the proposed retail price of the Copenhagen Wheel. Check out the video of how it works below:

Kickstarter, via Clean Technica