Google backs NZ’s Shweeb
27 Sep 2010
A Kiwi adventure ride company has been given a US$1 million grant by internet giant Google to develop a human-powered transport system to take to the world.
Rotorua company Shweeb - which offers rides on pedal-powered pods running along an overhead monorail - is one of only five worldwide organisations to receive funding from Google as part of the 10^100 scheme, which calls for ideas that could change the world.
More than 150,000 ideas were submitted to Google and finalists were put up for a public vote. One of the five ideas which won was ‘drive innovation in public transportation’.
Google then set about finding an organisation to help bring the idea to life - eventually locating Shweeb through their internet search engine after a two-year global search.
Shweeb will spend the US$1 million grant on research and development, and hopes to build a showcase transit system in the northern hemisphere within 18 months.
Project of a lifetime
Peter Cossey, managing director of Shweeb and Agroventures, said that the Shweeb prototype built overseas will be based on the existing model already operating in Rotorua.
"While the prototype has been thoroughly tested in New Zealand, in order to gain credibility in a global market, we need to test a transit system in a high density population destination.
"The northern hemisphere became the natural choice for us due to the sheer number of people that require transport and also the opportunity to achieve a higher global profile for the future growth of the company," said Cossey.
In return for the investment, Google has taken a 25% stake in Shweeb - any profits made by the internet giant will go into a charitable trust set up to fund the betterment of public transport worldwide.
Sustainable transport
The Shweeb is the brainchild of inventor Geoff Barnett, a keen cyclist with an interest in sustainable transport.
Visitors to New Zealand can try out the Shweeb ride in Rotorua. Riders lie back in a reclining position and experience up to 60-degree swings on the curves. The pods have seven-gear controls allowing riders to get up to speeds of over 40kph. Two Shweeb pods can also be joined together for tandem racing.
The Shweeb has already received expressions of interest from city councils in France and England. Representatives from Google visited Rotorua to see the Shweeb and test out the technology before committing to the funding.
Change the world
Google spent two years searching the globe for the best organisations to bring its five world-changing ideas to fruition.
The other ideas funded by the 10^100 scheme are:
- Make educational content available online for free. Project funded by The Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organisation that provides a free, high-quality online library of more than 1600 teaching videos.
- Enhance science and engineering education. Project funded by FIRST, a non-profit organisation which promotes science and math education around the world through team competitions.
- Make government more transparent. Project funded by Public Resource, a non-profit which focuses on enabling more online access to public government documents in the US.
- Provide quality education to African students. Project funded by The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, a centre for maths and science education and research located in Cape Town, South Africa.
Background: Shweeb
The Shweeb was founded in 2006 by Rotorua inventor Geoff Barnett. The ride opened in Rotorua in October 2007 and became an instant success with tourists.
Barnett, a keen cyclist, initially dreamed up the idea while living in Tokyo a decade ago. He reasoned that an overhead cycle monorail would be the perfect solution to connect up the city’s skyscrapers, allowing people to bypass traffic jams and avoid building more roads and expressways.
More than 30,000 riders have tried out the Shweeb. The current world record is 55 seconds for the 600m race.
More information
Rotorua opens world-first cycle monorail
Going for a spin - real Kiwi adventures
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