It’s certainly not the first, nor the last, effort at making rear wheel removal and reinstallation easier.  But it’s an interesting take on the issue (and one I’d like to see up close).

This is a project currently being funded on Kickstarter.  Downsides?  It’s obviously heavier than a standard QR.  While they claim it is stiffer, I’d be curious to see that in person.  It’s more complicated.  It introduces another point of failure.  And I’m very interested to see how the axle self-centers (so it doesn’t simply strip out from misalignment).  You can see the splined engagement system here:

I’m hoping that they use sealed bearings on the final product…seeing those balls really freaks me out a bit.  It’s stock Shimano sizing, and they indicate that it weighs 415 grams–roughly 170 grams more than the weight of a DT240 rear hub and skewer.

I’m not sure how much they are into biking…they indicate that it works with Shimano 8, 9, 10 and 11 speed…unless they have an 11 speed specific version, I’m not sure how they’re doing that.  (Spacer?)  They also respond to a question about degrees of rotation before engagement by saying that it engages at all 360 degrees.  Unless it has one heck of a pawl system, I think they misunderstood the question.

Anyhow, it’s a cool looking product that, with a little more refinement, could be a hit for people who are more concerned about ease of wheel removal than they are about an extra 200 grams.