Tag: human power
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A Leitra velomobile redesign by Kuba Szankowski
For his final project in Mechanical Engineering at the Danish Technical University, Israeli born Danish citizen Kuba Szankowski designed a velomobile based on the classic Leitra design. He worked closely on the project with Carl Georg Rasmussen of Leitra, who “at eighty years young still builds and maintains all the velomobiles, as well as most any…
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A Collection of Velomobile Links- Part 1
I don’t own one (yet), but I do have a fascination with velomobiles and mention them here at BicycleDesign from time to time. They are certainly not as common in the United States as they are in parts of Europe, but I think that is changing…slowly. If internet activity is any indication, they seem to…
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Graeme Obree’s new improved Beastie
Last year, I posted about Graeme Obree’s plans to attempt the human-powered land speed record in a prone position HPV of his own design. After his test run at Machrihanish airport in Scotland last year, the record attempt was delayed due to issues with the fairing on “the Beastie.” Now, Obree is back and ready…
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A GrabCAD contest and a bit of HPV history
I briefly mentioned the engineering website and community GrabCAD last year, when they ran a crank weight reduction challenge for Tern and a bar tape fixing challenge for Flying Machine Bicycle Design Studio. They have a new design/engineering challenge underway, in partnership with Velodroom, to “create an accessory that solves a problem cyclists face in…
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PowerPac- a pedal powered charging unit by Ideso
Just a few days ago, I mentioned bicycles being used to charge cell phones in post-storm Manhattan. That task could have been made easier for more people with a product like the PowerPac designed by Ideso, a South African product design consulting firm. The PowerPac is the “world’s first product to offer a removable power…
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AeroVelo’s human powered helicopter project
Late last year, I mentioned the University of Toronto Human Powered Vehicle Team’s Vortex HPV, which they raced at the World Human Powered Speed Championships in Battle Mountain, Nevada. This year, the team from Toronto has a more ambitious project- the world’s first successful human powered helicopter. Team member Victor Ragusila explains that they are…
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Why not?
As I indicated in my last post, I have been really busy lately. I subscribe to quite a few magazines and I usually read the articles that interest me as the issues arrive. Lately though, my magazines have been just been stacking up on the corner of my desk. Well, just last weekend I finally…