Bicycle with Ice Wheels: Deinventing the Wheel

Posted on 31/10/2014 by Lambert Varias

Clothing company Uniqlo asked the mad engineer Colin Furze to go to a cold place while wearing its thermal shirt. To keep himself busy – and because he’s crazy – in the barren plains, Colin decided to bring a bicycle along. But not just any bicycle – he made one with wheels made of ice.

So what’s a bike with ice wheels like? It’s pretty much what you’d expect:

The far more interesting aspect of this silly project is how Colin made the wheels. Because of time constraints he decided not to make the wheels 100% ice, because those would take too long to freeze. So he made a mold that includes the rims, as well as some wires for reinforcement.

Then he made a lathe for the wheels to smooth them out. He then modified a BMX bike to accommodate the 16″ ice wheels.

Clearly his next project should be to emulate Ghost Rider’s motorcycle. I bet he can do that. Whether or not he’d live to talk about it is another matter altogether.

[via Colin Furze]

Keep On Running

Posted on 11/06/2014 by Radhika Seth

The Wheel is a dynamic washing machine concept that works like a treadmill and uses human kinetic power. Combining health with purpose is a great combination and perhaps the biggest USP of this project. As a crossover between a gym bike and a washing machine, the setup is ideal to ensure that we stick to our exercise routine. In short – no running, no clean clothes – sort of!

Features:

The power generated from the spinning can be used to wash clothes and the unused power can be saved and used as electricity in the future.
The washing balls inside shorten the washing time and save the amount of water used in the process.
The saved energy can be used when there is no one around or the only person who can run the machine is a kid or an elder.
The normal plug in and flexible display system inside the wheel provides let’s the user to experience better riding experience.

The Wheel is a 2014 Electrolux Design Lab entry.

Designer: Si Hyeong Ryu

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(Keep On Running was originally posted on Yanko Design)

Vegas Ferris Wheel is the World’s Tallest Wheel

Posted on 01/04/2014 by sumayah

The High Roller happens to be the tallest Ferris wheel on the face of the planet. Its setting is the Strip in Las Vegas. Being 550 feet high, it takes half an hour to make a single revolution. But...

Two Guys Living in a Giant Hamster Wheel

Posted on 08/03/2014 by Conner Flynn

Two men are spending some quality time living in a rather unique home – this 25-foot wooden wheel. Ward Shelley and Alex Schweder are living in this wheel as part of the In Orbit art project at The Boiler gallery in Manhattan.

All of the furniture and accommodations are fixed along its circumference. The guys need to walk in tandem to rotate the giant wheel and get to the things they need to get through the day. The pair are living in the structure right now, 24/7. Their project started on February 28 and ends on March 9, 2014. The structure will remain until April 5, 2014.

It is an interesting idea, but if you live in a house like this, you better get along with your partner. Chances are these guys are going to hate each other by the end of it. Also, I don’t want to know how they go to the bathroom.

[CollabCubed via Neatorama]

Wheeled Snow Shovel Looks Like a Winner

Posted on 17/01/2014 by Conner Flynn

Check out this wheeled snow shovel design. It looks like it will allow you to shovel your driveway in record time and with ease. This has got to be better for your back than a standard snow shovel.

The Snow Wolf SW0310 Wheeled Snow Shovel (aka the “Snow Wovel”) has a sturdy wheel built right into the frame, so you’ll be able to scoop up large amounts of snow with minimal effort, and greater efficiency. It is the snow shovel of the future, but it is available today. In fact, it’s been available for several years – no time travel required.

Its makers claim it clears snow three times faster than conventional snow shovels. It sells for $139(USD) from Amazon, which also means it costs more than three times the price of conventional snow shovels.

What do you think? Has anyone tried one of these? Are they as great as they look?

[via This Is Why I'm Broke]

Roadless Wheel System is For All Terrains

Posted on 30/10/2013 by Hazel Chua

Shape Shifting Wheel

It’s tough if you live in places where the roads are far from ideal. In areas where road conditions would make it difficult for vehicles with typical wheels to cross, the Roadless wheel system is a godsend. It’s essentially a shape-shifting wheel that can change in size and shape to fit a bevy of vehicles and to adjust to various road conditions.

Roadless was designed by Ackeem Ngwenya, who is a student in Innovation Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. He was supposed to graduate last June but ran out of tuition money, so he took to Indiegogo with his graduation project with the goal of raising money to complete his studies and get the opportunity to develop Road further.

So how does it work? Roadless uses the principle behind the scissor-jack mechanism, where the wheel expands or contracts “to give more contact area or better ground clearance” as the telescoping hub is cranked up and down. Ackeem drew inspiration for his project after witnessing the difficulties that people faced in his hometown, Malawi, due to the lack of vehicles that could traverse the poor road conditions in the area.

The Indiegogo campaign for Roadless has closed with £5,135 in funds raised. That’s about twenty thousand pounds short of Ackeem’s goal, but he’s hoping to team up with others who can help him raise the balance. Check out the project page for Roadless here.

VIA [ InHabitat ]

Bike Wheel Clock: Time to Stop Pedaling

Posted on 29/07/2013 by Range

Clocks come in a bunch of shapes and sizes, but this clock made from a bike wheel is certainly unique. The resulting wall clock is quite big, but definitely something interesting to hang in your pad if you’re a bicyclist.

The Bicycle Wheel Clock is made by Vyconic, and I’m sure that it would work well as a conversation piece in an office or in your living room. If you love bikes, then this is the clock for you. The wheel had a brushed aluminum finish with a bright chrome hub. The wheel is reconditioned and has been modified to make space for the quartz clock movement at its center.

You can get the Bicycle Wheel Clock from Notonthehighstreet for £55 (~$89 USD). It’s available with either red or black hands. Tire and innertube not included.

[via The Gadget Flow]

Stair Rover Skateboard Ready to Conquer Flights of Stairs

Posted on 23/06/2012 by Range

Grinding down flights of stairs isn’t always easy when you are on a skateboard, so Po-Chih Lai decided that skateboards could be improved so that they would have no problem going down steps.

Stair Rover skateboard tackles stairs

The Stair Rover skateboard uses extra pivoting trucks with two wheels on each side to follow the contour of stairs, allowing the board to ride down smoothly. While the video shows a skateboarder using the Stair Rover successfully, I wonder if it has enough ground clearance for all kinds of stairs. Nevertheless, it looks like it works well on a variety of bumpy surfaces.

For now, the Stair Rover is just a working prototype. There’s no word if it will ever be mass produced, but I can think of people who wouldn’t mind having the extra wheels that they can thrash down stairs.

Stair Rover skateboard tackles stairs front

[via Dezeen]

Sony reveals $40 PlayStation Move Racing Wheel for LittleBigPlanet Karting and more

Posted on 05/06/2012 by Richard Lawler

We didn't spot it on stage during the pre-E3 2012 press conference, but Sony's PlayStation Blog is showing off a new PS Move Racing Wheel on the way. This framework apparently fits around the Move, featuring different grip styles with twist throttles and paddle shifters depending on what kind of racing you'd like to do. The "precise motion tracking" afforded by the Move appears to be targeted at titles like the upcoming LittleBigPlanet Karting, but it's hard to see how this will be real wheel, or even controller, alternative for serious gamers. It certainly seems to be fair competition for Microsoft's Wireless Speed Wheel that was introduced last year or the Nintendo Wii Wheel, but frankly we're surprised that's a battle anyone else wanted to be in. Either way, we expect to get our hands on it this week before it hits stores this fall for $39.99.

Gallery: PlayStation Move Racing Wheel

Sony reveals $40 PlayStation Move Racing Wheel for LittleBigPlanet Karting and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fanatec’s Clubsport pedals V2 bring improved brake and clutch feel to the virtual speedway (video)

Posted on 27/04/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Around these parts, we're generally suckers for all things related to racing simulators. As such, we're excited to learn that Fanatec has unveiled its next generation of the Clubsport pedals that we reviewed over a year ago. Dubbed as the Clubsport pedals V2, the company refers to the peripheral as an "evolutionary" update to original, offering a trio of improvements. The clutch has been retooled to have a "regressive feel" that's said to be similar to a real automobile, while the brake is now of the hydraulic variety, featuring user replaceable synthetic oil -- naturally, it still has an adjustable spring and load cell pressure sensor for the utmost customizability. The final touch is merely some visual spice in the way of black anodization. Notably, there won't be any tuning kit available initially, and V1 owners might be disappointed to know that the company has opted not to offer an upgrade kit, citing costs and potentially complicated installation. Fanatec is aiming to have the Clubsport pedals V2 out by June, bundled alongside its Clubsport wheel, with pricing set at $250 for the US (€250 in the UK). Pre-orders won't begin until May, so in the meantime, shift over to the source link below and the video past the break for all the details.

Gallery: Fanatec Clubsport pedals V2

Continue reading Fanatec's Clubsport pedals V2 bring improved brake and clutch feel to the virtual speedway (video)

Fanatec's Clubsport pedals V2 bring improved brake and clutch feel to the virtual speedway (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.