Showing posts with label bike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bike. Show all posts
Monday, February 20, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
02 pursuit motorcycle
MELBOURNE — Last month industrial designer Dean Benstead unveiled the 02 Pursuit — a prototype for a motorcycle fueled not by gas or electricity, but by compressed air.
Based on the geometry of a 250cc motocrosser, the O2 Pursuit prototype uses the breakthrough engine technology developed by Angelo Di Pietro of Engineair.
Benstead, a recent graduate of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), has harnessed the power that exists in the air tanks to mechanically drive the vehicle.
According to Benstead, testing of the motorcycle showed close to a quarter of an hour running time with stops at around 25-45 km/h. During stationary testing, Benstead’s team timed the speed off the back wheel, registering over 100 km/h. Preliminary testing of the prototype was limited to an indoors factory environment on a circular track.
“The bike is running a standard scuba tank which runs air compressed up to 200 bar, with further developments, we would be looking at running a tank at 400 bar with increased capacity to also increase the range,” he said.
The innovation was the result of Benstead’s final-year design research into the future of motorcycles, looking at air as a genuine alternative to petrol and electricity.
“Air was the starting point back in 2010, but I continued to explore this for the prototype because of its low-tech nature,” Benstead said. “A solar panel and a compressor now becomes your refinery and without huge battery packs to dispose of, we now have a low-cost to free powered bike with minimum impact on the environment.”
The project began mid last year at the RMIT Ecomoto, the only motorcycle-specific design studio in Australia. Led by RMIT Lecturer and Acting Program Director Simon Curtis, Benstead’s super motard bike project won him the Product Design – Automotive and Transport award at the 2010 Melbourne Design Awards.
The air engine developed by Engineair is still yet to be commercialized. The motor used in the 02 Pursuit was one of five prototypes in the world.
Benstead, recently named in Melbourne’s Top 100 most influential people, is currently working with Australia’s Engineair on a new design that can bring the technology to the market.
02 Pursuit specs:
Top Speed: >100 km/h
Weight: <100kg
Engine: ‘Di Pietro’ 9 chamber air engine
Engine Weight: 10kg
Material: Aluminiumhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Development: Melbourne
http://www.engineair.com.au/
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Monday, October 11, 2010
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Cambridge. A crash and the public response
It's become quite common for cyclists in the UK to video their cycling in order to catch evidence of motorists misdemeanors. This video from Cambridge shows how a cyclist is hit by a car while cycling, and the remarkably unsympathetic response of the average BBC Look East (local news TV programme in Cambridge) viewer...
I used to commute along roads very near here myself when I lived in Cambridge, and just like Paul in this video, I'd occasionally have more than a close call and actually be hit by a car.
The comparison with cycling in the Netherlands is remarkable. While I cycle much more now than I ever did in the UK, not once have I had the least bit of hassle here due to a driver.
While Britain continues to ignore the need for decent cycling infrastructure, the situation will remain the same. The cycling rate will continue to flatline and cyclists will continue to be treated as outlaws with no legitimate place either on the road or on the pavement.
Copying Dutch infrastructure which gives cyclists direct journeys in safety is the only way of turning this around. Real action is needed. Not yet more empty promises.
I know of many Dutch people who make cycling videos, but not one of them records their cycle rides to catch "evidence". Rather, Dutch cyclists' videos are made to record pleasant experiences of cycling. There are many of them on youtube.
Isn't it better that cycling should be something enjoyable and full of good memories ? Something not only for commuting adults but that you're also happy for your children to do ?
I came across the Cambridge video on the I Pay Road Tax blog, thanks to a tip from Biking Brits.
Geplaatst door David Hembrow op 00:01 9 reacties
Labels: britain, cambridge, cars, comparisons
Fietselfstedentocht - a jolly ride through the countryside
Cycling in the rain of the Netherlands
Autumn Cycling in the Netherlands
Cycling in the snow; 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Free Bike Lending Library
A student-led bike library opened Sept. 24 at the University of Denver (DU) offering high-tech bikes on loan for free, and a glimpse of the citywide bike sharing program that gets rolling next spring. The free DU lending library is open to all students, faculty and staff using the same bikes that will dot the city landscape in early 2010.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Bike Storage 3.0
In Japan, where more than 18 million bicycles are sold per year to people who use them for daily transportation, even to and from work. Consequently, people-powered transport is one of the biggest growing sectors in the Japanese economy.
Having millions of bicycles on the streets daily means those bikes have to be parked somewhere. Traditional bike racks are an eyesore, not to mention the fact they leave bikes exposed to elements, and who wants to commute with a wet seat?
One town in Japan has come up with an innovative way to store bikes that’s both convenient and dry. The “bike tree” is a fully-automated storage system that can store up to 6,000 bikes in one location for a small monthly fee. The bikes are fitted with an electronic tag that transmits data to the tree. Once the bike is inserted into the retrieval slot, the tree recognizes the size and weight of the bike and then grabs it and places it in the rack system. When the owner wants to retrieve their bike, they simply swipe their mag stripe card through the reader and their bike is delivered to them in minutes. It’s interesting to watch the tree in action:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
