 Razorfish, a digital marketing agency based out of Seattle, WA, have designed a location-based bike service, that they showcased at the SXSW (South By Southwest International Festival). The aptly named "UseMeLeaveMe" bikes are fitted with GPS transmitters that continuously update their position, simultaneously sending out tweets so followers can find one near their current location.
The bikes are defined by both a name and a personality, which makes reading the tweets half the fun. The GPS technology can determine when the bikes are in motion or immobile, so the bike will only tweet a location if it is no longer in use. Those following any of the bikes such as @TuckerTheBike or @VivianTheBike will also receive tweets about landmarks that the bikes pass by. Razorfish collaborator Orlando Santos explains, "It (the bike) will talk about it, it will say 'I'm at the convention center, come ride me', so to speak."
The culture of SXSW is centered around sharing; ideas, information and now bikes. The lifespan of this project is anyone's guess, but in cities across North America and Europe this could just become an alternative method of transportation for the tech-savvy, eco-friendly commuter. |
