ThingWorx, a PTC® business and Internet of Things (IoT) platform provider, has announced that Smoove, a French developer of bikes and bike share systems, has selected the ThingWorx IoT Platform to power its bike-share service in cities throughout the world. This commitment extends Smoove’s 2009 selection of PTC Creo® and PTC Windchill® for the design and development of its bike components.
Bicycle sharing is a service that is growing across large cities around the globe as an alternative to traditional motorised transportation in order to reduce traffic congestion and its associated environmental impact. The programme makes bikes available for shared used to people on a short term basis, typically 30-45 minutes.
With the prevalence of mobile, Internet-connected technologies, many apps can show nearby stations that have available bikes and open docks. To address this trend, Smoove has developed the Smoove Box which is placed on the bike to use the sensor systems currently present to guide riders to the appropriate station docks. With the ThingWorx IoT Platform, the data collected can be shared with city administrators to facilitate better access and placement of bike stations to accommodate actual customer use and preferences. This ability enables Smoove to have a vision where bike-share systems can genuinely integrate the Internet of Things and not just isolated business software solutions.
“We chose the ThingWorx IoT Platform for its flexibility and versatility in use and the opportunities for enhancing the diversification of our offer,” said Denis Mercat, chief technical officer, Smoove. “Without a doubt, the ThingWorx platform will enable Smoove to reduce integration and adaptation times in an international context and to develop new services to promote the values of sharing, ecology and respect for modern and sustainable urbanism. We are counting on ThingWorx to support us in our medium and long-term international development.”
The ThingWorx IoT Platform, via local Clouds, can monitor and analyse a multitude of complex data to optimise the use and management of the Smoove bike-share service. Additionally, it is an open application that is ready to use, easy to deploy, and very fast to configure with systems already installed. These key capabilities are of significant value, most notably at the international level where the Smoove technology has to adapt to extremely varied standards.
“Smoove is a good example of how IoT technology can enable improvements in the quality of urban life, in pollution and mobility,” said Russ Fadel, president, ThingWorx. “The ThingWorx platform will enable Smoove to simplify and speed its development, reducing the time it takes Smoove to deploy bikes and its bike-share services. Additionally, the proven performance and scalability of ThingWorx will support Smoove throughout their international expansion.”
Using both PTC and ThingWorx technology, Smoove is able to design, manufacture and provide after sales follow up and maintenance of bike share systems and services. Towns, municipalities, transport operators and business can receive personalised data-driven dashboards that deliver meaningful and actionable data about its bike-share system.
