Let’s Crank: Specialized and Google Pedal Contest
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.27.07
Yup, a bike and a byte company have joined forces to promote the benefits of human powered ingenuity. As they put it:
The challenge is to invent and build machines that transform pedalling energy into new and useful purposes. ... inspire innovation and environmental change ...
So get together with yourself, or with four buddies, and conjure up a device that harnesses the magnificently energy efficient grunt of a bike’s crankshaft and you might all end up winning a Specialize Globe bicycle, plus $5,000 USD to split.
Aside from the gadget you’ll also need to video said thingamee from a 360° viewpoint and send in a YouTube presentation of less than 2 mins duration. It shouldn’t be hard to do better than Specialized own flawed promo device and clip. Which has serious flaws in both ergonomics and script. Get your bike shoes on, ‘coz entries will close mid December. Details at ::Innovate or Die (NB: Safari unfriendly site), via Earth2Tech.
Be inspired by projects like pedal powered prime mover and Bicimaquinas.
See also Google on carbon offsets and electric cars.
