Its hardly the first, SR Suntour do the 9 speed gearbox in almost exactly the same fashion....

I love the idea, but I guess it will come down to how heavy a bike is using it. As pointed out above, the frame and pedal infrastructure would be quite different (no cassette etc...). It might be possible to replace some of the frame too by using the gear case as part of the structure. Maybe this wouldn't be used by pro racers, but for commuters and weekend warriors the ease of maintenance and convenience might win through.

Would be nice to know how this compares to something like the NuVinci CVT transmission.

"not all of them have axles that are strong enough for multi-terrain use,"
The Nuvinci has a solid axle. Plenty strong.
"they add revolving weight,"
Near the center of the hub, where revolving mass matters least.
"and that weight is added in the back of the bike – not low and in the middle, where you want it."
I don't see how the center of a hub is any higher than the bottom bracket, especially since the Pinion extends above the BB.
"The multiplication of three by six ratios gives 18 real ratios spaced in even, ergonomically ideal, steps of 11.5 percent."
The Nuvinci is ergonomically ideal because it has infinite ratios. Even owners who don't like the weight will attest to that. You can always find the perfect gear, not just something close. Also, consistent gaps aren't optimal. The thinking has always been smaller gaps in higher gears and larger gaps in the lower gear range.

Heavy or not, still sounds good to me. Fiddling with gear changes is a pet hate ... anything that simplifies the process would be welcome. Didn't somebody invent an 'automatic' bike gearbox a while ago though? Just pedal and it changes up (or down) as the needs of the bike change.

I have a Sram iMotion 9 hub and rarely go above gear 6. I think a 9 (3x3) or 12 (3x4) gearbox would have been more relevant, lighter and cheaper. Shimano have an 11 speed Alfine, and Rohloff had the previous record of 14 speed.

Rohloff Speedhub
Superior in every way.

omg its not weightless! wharever. some others are fragile! yes...others. lets see one in "plastics with silicon bronze bearing surfaces for liwest lowest friction and weight. perhaps a 3d printer expert can program one up. me. i want one that has edrive incorporated and can hanfle regen. lacking that..one that is fast detatch.

all we need is a 3d printer and the file..
(6 lbs!)
no mention of cost looks like about $500
wle

Fine for a commuter bike in Holland where there are no hills and the lack of cables might be viewed as advantageous. This is a good example of design engineers starting with a project before they fully understand the problem and what users actually like and do not like with current solutions. The Italians have been producing pre-stretched cables for decades that greatly reduce and needed adjustments and the shift lever mounts often include tension adjustment mechanisms.
This design still makes use of the chain which is the one item that the average commuter would like to have go away.