Smarter Bike Lock is a device that makes it easy to steal sharing bicycles. The project is based on observations of hacks of dockless bike sharing systems in Shenzhen. Taking advantage of the aggressive expansion and subsequent neglect of bike-sharing companies, users can be found disabling the electronic locks of sharing bicycles to then re-lock the bike with a regular key lock, effectively turning sharing bikes into private bikes.

As a ready-made product that makes this (illegal) practice of appropriation even easier, the Smarter Bike Lock is a discursive design object to bring up conversations and raise questions on top-down technological developments and capitalist logic in smart city initiatives.

Project developed as part of the Made in China program by School of Machines, Making and Make-Believe.