Engineering students design a bike that can't be stolen

Three young Chilean engineering students have designed a bike that can be locked using some of their own parts. The "Yerka", a prototype design and the latest entry in a recent trend of bikes. They include the Brooklyn-based "Seaty lock", which uses its saddle seat as a lock, and the Seattle-based "Denny"' which is locked with its detachable handlebars.

But the inventors of the Yerka have made a twist in that approach. The bike's lower frame opens up into two arms that are then connected to the seat post and locked to a post, so thieves would have to destroy a Yerka to get it unlocked, leaving it valueless.
In Chile and else where in Latin America, the spread of designated cycling lanes, storage racks and bike share programs are encouraging to switch from cars to bikes which are cheaper and environmentally friendly. Leaving aside the familiar shackle locks and chains with locks, most anti-theft accessories have been bolt-on devices. The latter usually involve a piece that passes between the spokes to stop the wheel rotating but they can still be easily picked open by a thief.

The most effective strategy commonly used in London today is to take the bike into the office with you. Other anti-theft strategies involve using a bike that looks so unattractive that nobody will want to steal it.
The young Chilean engineers said they began experimenting with their ideal after their friend's bicycle was stolen. First they built a PVC model, then constructed a working prototype.

Now, while waiting for the patent to be approved and carrying out more tests on the bike's resistance to thieves, the team plans to launch a crowd funding campaign seeking to raise funds. They are also looking for a partner who can invest $300,000 needed to produce a first batch of 1,000 bikes that they hope will be sold by mid-2015.