The makers of the Copenhagen Wheel from M.I.T.'s SENSEable City Laboratory claim that the new features mark the advent of "Biking 2.0," a new era based on smarter bikes and easier rides. The wheel is certainly a step in that direction; it includes sensors for detecting distance, speed, direction, all of which are beamed via Bluetooth to the rider's iPhone. The wheel also includes a built-in lock that sends the rider a text if tampered with.

But the most notable feature of the Copenhagen Wheel is its KERS or Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a mechanism by which energy from braking is stored up for later use, giving the rider a boost when going up a hill or speeding through traffic. Some bicycle purists have already dismissed the wheel as a novelty while others suggest that M.I.T. has succeeded in reinventing the wheel. [MIT via Inhabitat]

And it's all thanks to this ingenious gyro-equipped bike wheel. Like the Seqway before it, the Gyrowheel uses, well, a gyro, to maintain balance long enough so that a child can comfortably get the feel for bike riding—without those tiny little wheels messing with their self-esteem.

As you can see in the video, even with a few slaps on the side the wheel remains upright. I too was skeptical at first, but when the video depicted a bike "ghost riding" across the exhibit floor, I was sold and my childhood was immediately envious.

The 12-inch Gyrowheel will drop on December 1, while a 16-inch version should arrive by Spring 2010. [Gyrowheel via OhGizmo]

Tonka got in a tussle with a local dog, who bit off one of her legs. Unable to walk around properly, rescuers had the idea to strap the wheels from a Tonka truck to her underside, turning her into the fastest tortoise around.

Local resident John O'Dea, 35, has now adopted Tonka and said she loved nothing better than roaming in the vegetable patch and going for ‘walks'.

Surfer John said: ‘She is doing really well and loves roaming around the vegetable garden on her shiny new wheels.

‘She has a particular fondness for tomatoes.

‘I take her for ‘walks' regularly around my neighbourhood, I think she likes the speed but I do get a few funny looks.

Man, that hare doesn't stand a chance now. [Daily Mail via Neatorama]

Yanko says the Dynamic Augmented Wheel System are guided by a magnetic guide rail on the inside that hold's the wheel in place while driving straight, and moves to let it shift with the car's center of gravity while turning. The current design is inspired by motorcycle wheels and the human foot, making uses of servos, a drive gear and embedded magnets in each segment to pull this feat off.

Currently, the prototype wheel works on a 1:2 scale, but no word on actual implementation plans. [DAWs via Jalopnik, Yanko]

Isn't that what the first cave man envisioned when he "invented" the wheel? Yes, I believe it is.

Hit stores in March '09. [Menu.as via Trendsnow via Dvice]

If you ask me, this is a dangerous precedence. First we help fish roll around on land, next we're going to teach monkeys how to fly and use firearms. Why don't we just hand over the keys to our civilization already? – Jason Chen

Terranaut - Fish Explore Land With Robotic Vehicle [Technovelgy]

Skycar [Moller]
Fly Wheels XPV [Jakks Pacific]

EPIA Alloy Mod [bit-tech.net]