Ford has released the latest (and safest) concept in transportation, but this time, it’s not a car. After spending the last couple days with Ford over in Silicon Valley fully immersed in all their latest innovations, it’s safe to say the new MoDe:Flex is the coolest forward thinking thing we saw. The MoDe:Flex is one of three concept bicycles Ford invented.
What makes the MoDe:Flex most interesting is just how smart it is. When paired with the Apple Watch this smart bike actually works as your eyes and ears to warn you of dangerous drivers on the road, potholes, and construction before it hits through haptic feedback in the handlebars. So say a driver is coming up behind you real close and you happen to have your ear buds in (not safe I know, but people do it), or there’s a big pothole you just didn’t happen to see, the MoDe:Flex has sensors on the back to alert you before a possible collusion takes place. It also has an electronic pedal assist function that intuitively kicks in when you need a little extra help on the big hills or if you’re heading to work and don’t want to show up all sweaty. By tracking your heart rate through sensors on the handlebars, the battery kicks in to monitor your pace and how much physical work it takes to get to your end destination.
If you’re driving part of the way to your destination, the bike can also be folded up and stowed away into the trunk, with the battery left charging in the car. Through advanced data collection the team at Ford aims to take this idea from prototype to product
In addition to the MoDe:Flex Ford also created the MoDe:Me and MoDe:Pro bikes which also share similar functionality.
Take a closer look at the MoDe:Flex in action below.
