Cyclists can now fit their bicycle with smart inner tubes that enable them to accurately measure their tyre pressures by scanning an NFC chip embedded near the valve with their smartphone.

The pressure sensor incorporated in the Tubo-MTB PSENS tube is battery free and makes it “the first smart bicycle tube in the world”, according to Tubolito, the Austria-based company that developed it.

“An NFC chip, which is integrated in the tube, allows riders to measure the pressure with an app (available for iOS, Android version will be available in summer 2021) via the smartphone,” Tubolito explains.

“As the chip, that weighs only a few grams, is inside the tube it is perfectly safe and not exposed to small stones etc.

“To determine the tyre pressure a smartphone and the app just needs to be brought close to the chip (approx 3cm). After a few seconds of measurement, the pressure is indicated in bar and PSI.

“The chip does not need a battery and can be used as long as the tube as such.”

A short video shows how the smart tube works.

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