xorsyst
How do you solve a bike storage problem in the heart of Tokyo? Create a robotic bike storage system. With bikes ridden by over 700,000 people a day in Tokyo, after they get to their train station, those bikes need to go somewhere.
This underground bike storage system at the busiest station in Edagawa cost around 67 million dollars to build. For around 19 dollars a month, your receive an RFID card and a parking spot in the underground garage. You swipe your card, and the machine takes your bike and stores it in one of 9,400 parking spot. Upon returning, you swipe your card again, and the system retrieves your bike. It takes about 10 seconds from when you swipe your card till you have your bike ready to ride.
Ha thats exactly what you do. And its a business in itself too! What a great idea
This is pretty much what they are already doing with cars there so it only makes sense.
I have also seen other large cities do the bike rental thing where there are stations where you pick up one, ride where you need to go, and drop off the bike at the next closest station.