A Thread for Fine Design
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The Running Bike
Inspiration
After analysing the original running machine constructed by Karl Freiherr von Drais, the inventor of the velocipede that was basic to the bicycle, we liked to revive that principle. So we put some questions: “Does the running machine make any sense for adults nowadays? If yes, how and where could it be useful?” “How can we offer a certain amount of mobility to people, who are by any reason not able to ride a bike (or drive a car)?”
http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/Projects/Project.aspx?ID=3167&RegionId=0&Winindex=5
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The guy demoing the running bike does not look confident to me. I could see people catching their feet in the rear wheel spokes also ...... and besides ....... he does look like a plonker shuffling along on it
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... another thing! I imagine it would be tricky getting up from a fall with that harness and it could do some damage to the 'crown jewels' into the bargain
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.... this guy has a 'death wish'
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Yes I confess, this had me a little concerned
Also, when he nearly terminates the little girl in the square
Also doesn't having pedals kind of put physics on your side?
The thing that interests me is that this is a student competition sponsored by James Dyson with reasonable prizes.
This one was probably more worthy of the Fine design designation http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/Projects/Project.aspx?ID=2946&RegionId=0&Winindex=0
But there was a bike theme going so.... -
guy who 'invented' this bike lives around the corner from me.
you use a running / walking motion with your legs. no circles.
up down up down up down.
really weird to see it go down the street.
seems really counter intuitive to me... but i like spinning, and feel its actually easier on the knees.
still has gears though, so you maintain some of the mechanical advantage of the modern bike.
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Ah, so it almost works like the Nordic Track exercise machine by the looks of it. That's quite cool.
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@dale said:
Ah, so it almost works like the Nordic Track exercise machine by the looks of it. That's quite cool.
yeah, it is similar.
problem for me is that when i walk, my arms tend to move.
when i run, they definitely move.on a bicycle with a typical crank, the feet move in circles, different than walking, so unless one is hammering up a hill, arms and upper body can remain quiet.
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Fine design...maybe, genius...hell yeah!
http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw
The Life straw!!
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looks like a larger version that i've seen in use for hikers / adventurers:
http://www.mcnett.com/Frontier-Pro-Portable-Water-Filter-System-P207.aspx
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@solo said:
Fine design...maybe, genius...hell yeah!
The Life straw!!
I think you've nailed an incredible example of not only how design can bring about change,but that it is not just about aesthetics,but outcome. Great find!
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The Yike Bike. I remember seeing this in concept stage some time ago but now see that its on the shelves! Its pricey but breaks the mold when it comes to personal transport.
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At first I thought this was counterpoint to Pete's post. A decadent Life straw,for the first world's trending overfed.
But the implications of the technology, when I dug deeper, could have staggering consequences on the delivery of medications for asthsma, and many more. http://www.egodesign.ca/en/article.php?article_id=605
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@mike lucey said:
The Yike Bike. I remember seeing this in concept stage some time ago but now see that its on the shelves! Its pricey but breaks the mold when it comes to personal transport.
Mike
I would have loved one of these when I was living on the coast for my commute to and from work and the Ferry. It was an uphill return to the ferry, and took me just long enough that I would miss the Ferry which would mean a 14 hr day by the time I got home.
Love the way it folds also.
and starting at $2000.00 US puts it inline with other quality electric bikes. -
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These people play with light. Not just lighting, but screening, sunshades,all inclusive, in a very creative way.
Atelier Oï was formed in La Neuveville, Switzerland in 1991, by three Swiss designers, Aurel Aebi (b. 1966), Armand Louis (b. 1966), and Patrick Reymondhttp://www.atelier-oi.ch/index.php?id=3
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Lit Motors Will Shake Up The Electric Vehicle Market With Its Two-Wheeled, Untippable C-1
Lit Motors Will Shake Up The Electric Vehicle Market With Its Two-Wheeled, Untippable C-1 | TechCrunch
The recent influx of both high- and low-end EVs and electric motorcycles have shown promise, but current battery technology is still limiting, and the cost of entry is far too high with the benefits of switching from petrol-powered vehicles not being quite as obvious or apparent in the near term. Now imagine a vehicle that's smaller than a Smart Car, nearly a third of the price of a Nissan Leaf ($32,500), safer than a motorcycle with a range capacity that just lets you drive and won't ever tip over? What you get is Lit Motors' C-1, the world's first gyroscopically stabilized, two-wheeled all-electric vehicle, which launched at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco today. Oh, and it will talk to your smartphone and the cloud. Did I mention that you can't tip this thing over? (I've tried.)
TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)
Good to see the c-1 progressing
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Soltech Energy
http://www.soltechenergy.com/en
While maybe not fine design, I thought it is quite interesting.
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Odooproject prefab home produces twice the amount of energy it consumes http://www.odooproject.com/en/gallery/house_g.html
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