There’s a new bike lock out called CactUs that stinks – literally! Here’s why.
In France alone, more than 580,000 bikes are stolen each year. Faced with this scourge, a young French chemical engineering student, Aïko Leroux, has launched a novel innovation, a bike lock that emits a foul smell in the event of a theft attempt.
The CactUs differs from traditional solutions in that its internal mechanism contains a gas based on putrescine, an organic compound responsible for the characteristic, nauseating odor of decomposing corpses.
What is putrescine typically used for?
Application of putrescine, along with other polyamines, can be used to extend the shelf life of fruits by delaying the ripening process. Pre-harvest application of putrescine has been shown to increase plant resistance to high temperatures and drought. Both of these effects seem to result from lowered ethylene production following exogenous putrescine exposure.
Due to its role in putrification, putrescine has also been proposed as a biochemical marker for determining how long a corpse has been decomposing.
Putrescine together with chitosan has been successfully used in postharvest physiology as a natural fruit coating. Putrescine with chitosan-treated fruits had higher antioxidant capacity and enzyme activities than untreated fruits. Fresh strawberries coated have a lower decay percentage, higher tissue firmness and contents of total soluble solids. Nanoparticles of putrescine with chitosan are effective in preserving the nutritional quality and prolonging the post-harvest life of strawberries during storage up to 12 days.
How does the CactUS lock work?
The gas is released when the lock is cut more than a centimeter deep, releasing a vile-smelling stench that deters the thief and alerts passers-by. This strategy aims to make any theft simply unbearable, beyond relying on mere mechanical resistance.
The CactUs lock is available at an introductory price of €179.99.
