Smog-Free Bicycle’s pedal power could scrub pollutants from Beijing’s air

By Luke Dormehl Updated May 18, 2017

smog free bicycle 1

Riding a bike instead of driving a car may be the more environmentally friendly choice of transport, but could bicycles actually help fight pollution more directly? The Netherlands’ Studio Roosegaarde claims the answer is a resounding “yes” — and it’s got its eyes set on Beijing’s notoriously high levels of smog to prove its point.

Right now, the Smog-Free Bicycle is still just a concept, but it’s a pretty darn intriguing one that’s already captured our interest. “It is still in development, but as with our Smog Free Tower, it sucks up the dirty air and releases clean air in its vicinity,” creator Daan Roosegaarde told Digital Trends.

The Smog Free Tower that Roosegaarde refers to is a 23-foot wind-powered structure that essentially functions as a giant air purifier. In a study by Eindhoven University of Technology, the technology used for the Smog Free Tower was found to remove up to 70 percent of the ingested PM10 and up to 50 percent of the ingested PM2.5 — two of the pollutants which contribute to smog. In an open field in calm weather, the Smog Free Tower is able to cause smog reductions of more than 20 meters around it.

Roosegaarde’s idea is to now take that technology on the move with a bicycle that releases positively-charged ions into the air, which then capture pollutants and suck them back inside. “It reflects our drive to activate new solutions together with citizens, makers, NGOs and governments towards smog-free cities,” he continued. “The Smog Free Bicycle, along with Smog Free Tower and Smog Free Jewellery, are part of the larger Smog Free Project. More concepts will be added along the journey.”

At present, Roosegaarde said the team is working on a prototype, which it will be developing with a partner in China and the Netherlands. One possibility is that the bike will be used in local bikesharing programs in China, such as Mobike. There’s no word on when it might be available as a commercial product that international customers can get their hands on, but hopefully we won’t be waiting too much longer.

Topics

Contributor

I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…

Outdoors

The best portable power stations

EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Emerging Tech

CES 2023: HD Hyundai’s Avikus is an A.I. for autonomous boat and marine navigation

Demonstration of NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

This content was produced in partnership with HD Hyundai.
Autonomous vehicle navigation technology is certainly nothing new and has been in the works for the better part of a decade at this point. But one of the most common forms we see and hear about is the type used to control steering in road-based vehicles. That's not the only place where technology can make a huge difference. Autonomous driving systems can offer incredible benefits to boats and marine vehicles, too, which is precisely why HD Hyundai has unveiled its Avikus AI technology -- for marine and watercraft vehicles.

More recently, HD Hyundai participated in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, to demo its NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system for recreational boats. The name mashes together the words "neuron" and "boat" and is quite fitting since the Avikus' A.I. navigation tech is a core component of the solution, it will handle self-recognition, real-time decisions, and controls when on the water. Of course, there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation solution, which we'll dive into below -- HD Hyundai will also be introducing more about the tech at CES 2023.

Computing

This AI cloned my voice using just three minutes of audio

acapela group voice cloning ad

There's a scene in Mission Impossible 3 that you might recall. In it, our hero Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) tackles the movie's villain, holds him at gunpoint, and forces him to read a bizarre series of sentences aloud.

"The pleasure of Busby's company is what I most enjoy," he reluctantly reads. "He put a tack on Miss Yancy's chair, and she called him a horrible boy. At the end of the month, he was flinging two kittens across the width of the room ..."