Robotic legs that give bicycles Ferrari performance

Cyclists looking for an effortless boost in speed need look no further than a robotic suit that increases leg strength by up to 40kg (400N).

The Panasonic Powerloader Light (PPL), which goes on sale this month,
uses six-axis sensors in its foot pedals, allowing the robotic legs to match and augment the users movements.

The suit is intended to be used as a research platform in robotics and brain-machine interfacing, but Panasonic is running a research grant programme to take the technology in new directions.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The robotic legs could give a cyclist the performance of a Ferrari, but at £160,000 they have a price tag to match.”

Superhuman performance

If a tortuous hill has ever left you wishing you could call on superhuman powers, but you can’t quite stretch to £160,000 for a pair of robotic legs you may be in the market for a bike that monitors its rider’s muscular effort and then multiplies it by up to fifty times, propelling the eROCKIT to a top speed of up to 50mph.

The eROCKIT may look unusual, but the way it works would be completely familiar to anyone who has ridden a conventional bicycle. There is no accelerator – the rider needs to pedal in order for the electric motor to work – and the brakes are positioned on the handlebars.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The eROCKIT has the potential to be a relatively green and healthy way of commuting further than would be possible for most people to cycle – unfortunately it needs to cost far less for it to find a mass market.”

The eRocket bicycle/motorbike hybrid	How does it perform?
eRocket
Maximum range	50 miles
CO2 emissions	None at point of use and other in production none if electricity is bought from a sustainable source
Batteries	Nano-Phosphate Lithium
Battery life expectancy	1,000 charging cycles
Cost to charge	50 pence
Cost to buy	The first 10 examples will cost around £25,000

Insurance for electric-assist bicycles

A good cycle insurance policy should be able to cover any type of bike including custom-built and electric-assist bicycles legal for use on British roads – under current regulations the eROCKIT mentioned would be considered a motorcycle.

Every policy from the ETA includes new-for-old replacement & cover for accidental damage (race events included), third party insurance, personal accident cover and if you breakdown, they will even come out and recover you and your bike. Prices start from 32 pence per week.