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Whirling Twirling Propeller Trike

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the mit-students-with-to-much-time dept.

hankmt writes "A student at MIT has built a tricycle that applies force to a giant rear fan, instead of directly to the wheels. The effect...well, it's best to look for yourself, but it would be pretty useful on the post-apocalyptic roads of the Australian Outback. The blades of the trike even have built in LED lights which display colored patterns...and also warn pedestrians of their impending deaths."

4 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Looks like something for Burning Man by Animats · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Burning Man crowd likes stuff like that. It's too late for this year's Department of Mutant Vehicles registration, though.

    By playa standards, this is unambitious. Check out the Neverwas Haul, a steam-powered 3-story Victorian house on wheels that moves under its own power.

    1. Re: Looks like something for Burning Man by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      The Burning Man "Department of Mutant Vehicles" doesn't need to get involved because it's not a motor vehicle; so I'll be keeping my eyes out for the big, glowing, spinning fan blades of certain death/concussion/brokenarms.

      Also: the Neverwas Haul, while very cool to look at, was not self-powered. It was towed by a steam tractor (which is still pretty cool). Perhaps they've modified it since last year and, if so, I hope to see it out on the playa again.

  2. Reminds me of a pilot... by iknownuttin · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Actually, the bike pulls to the right. So by rolling up his right pant leg that side creates less drag, which helps trim the bike back to the left.

    I once knew a pilot for parachutists and he would trim the plane so well that all he did to turn was to lean in the direction he wanted to go. I believe it was a C172 or something small like that.

    --
    I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
  3. Re:First prize for impracticality by hszp · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Disclaimer: I would not want to pedal that sh!t uphill under any circumstances.

    But it's simply great. How many of you would have thought such speed was possible in such an unefficient way? Sure: he could be three times as fast with an everyday ( "run-off-the-mill"? ) bike, but that's only better by a factor of 3.

    Add a big helium-filled balloon to the thing and next thing you see he's flying (don't try this at home kids, you're not coming down the way you think you would).
    Or build something similar for a glider plane (for braking, of course =))

    Under certain circumstances, a personal carrier like this can prove to be the most efficient way of transportation. Where drag-force exceeds gravitational force by some constant. So: moon-buggy - no, underwater-vehicle - maybe, somethingcompletelydifferent - yes.

    Catch my drift?