As sustainable living gains in popularity, the bicycle gets its first major upgrade in a century

Bicycle technology has changed incrementally over the years, but it's not until this year that the push-pedal bike will see a dramatic innovation that has the potential to change the way we travel. The invention is the Superpedestrian SDK Copenhagen Wheel, created by engineers at MIT and currently being perfected in a garage in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This special wheel simply replaces the tradition rear wheel of almost any bicycle. As you pedal, it electronically gauges your effort and offers a power boost when you need it. The result is that, for the rider, it feels about the same to bike on flat land as it does to go up a hill. Incredibly, the wheel doesn't need external electricity or fuel of any kind. Instead, it captures the energy dissipated when you brake or go downhill, and stores it in its integrated high-capacity lithium battery. Interestingly, the wheel integrates wireless technology so you can interact with it using an app on a mobile device to control its sensors and track performance.