The dream of an autonomous bicycle is that it would control itself, relieving the rider of the need to know how to control it or ride safely. It would also have an electric motor so it could deliver itself to where it is needed. But the weight, expense and power draw required for the sensors on an autonomous vehicle put them out of consideration for a bicycle. Those problems might be solved with another 20 years of technological progress, but still, how would an autonomous bicycle pick itself up if it fell over? How would it climb stairs, curbs, snowbanks or other obstacles, without someone to carry it?
There is a video of an autonomous bicycle online — as an April Fool’s joke.
There is a project to design what is called an autonomous bicycle at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — but it is not a bicycle, it is a tricycle.
