Robotic Bicycle Parking in Japan…Domo Arigoto!
There’s nothing a good robot can’t do, and easing the burden of bicycle commuters is now on its list.
Really, it’s designed to ease parking congestion by using a robotic, fully automated underground parking structure that can store and retrieve your bicycle in seconds while keeping it secure from non-robots. Apparently, illegal bike parking is a major problem in Tokyo. Bikes block streets, walkways, ramps, etc.
Guardian UK writer David Munk shot his own video to go with his nice little story about the decks, but you can’t embed it, and this one is shot in the style of Japanese game shows, so it’s more fun to watch. The bike “sheds” hold from 600 to 6,000 (!) bicycles. Riders simply subscribe to the service, attach a small electronic tag and insert their bike. OK, NYC, you’re next!
Another vid after the break…
Comments
yes but here’s how it will work in NY. They will decide that since you have a bike you can afford to pay a maximum amount per month, just slightly lower than parking a car, because you can’t afford a car. Then you’ll have to buy a permit. The mob will substitute the good steel in the machine with inferior steel and it will start to rust before you can blink. The government will run the place until it falls apart and then lease the rights at a loss to a foreign company who will fire all the workers and hire minimum wage workers only with no benefits. The machine will always be broken and deliver you the wrong bike. You’ll have to call customer service on a phone line that crackles and is impossible to hear and they will dispatch the repair guy hours after you’ve been standing there. Eventually the entire system will fail and everyone will blame the unions, the stupid employees and the economy.
[...] lorsque je tombe coup sur coup sur deux idées intéressantes. La première est tirée de BikeRumors et se passe au Japon (les japonais censés être rois de la moto, roulent beaucoup en vélo, on [...]