The HumanCar Blog |
World's First Human-Electric Hybrid |
| Saturday, February 03, 2007 |
 The HumanCar is happy to announce that we have gotten a wink by Wired Magazine! The Wired's Autopia blog promises a follow up.
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| the humancar |
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The HumanCar Lands on the Google Video Home Page! |
| Wednesday, January 31, 2007 |
Over 87 thousand views and counting...
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| bitbypit |
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The HumanCar FAQ |
| Saturday, September 16, 2006 |
How many bicycles were used to make the FM-4?
No Bicycle parts are used in the FM-4.
Where are the pedals?
The TWASTA Patent (Team Work and Strength Training Apparatus) defines a mobile - or stationery - full body work out device, for multiple participants. There are no pedals.
How does it handle?
BodySteer utilizes more degrees of freedom than leaning - like riding a motorcycle. High speed handling is critical to the safe performance of any vehicle. Why make a 200 MPH chassis/suspension system? Why not? BodySteer is at least as effective as wheel steering - some would say much more effective.
Then why have both front occupants steer?
Part of the fun of teamwork is to share tasks. Think of it as Pilot and Co-Pilot. Either can control the vehicle, but there is an exotic sensory input when you feel the others sharing the activity. Dominant/Submissive arrangements work, and so does real-time cooperation.
Do you need a full team?
Three people works quite well. Of course, with one or two people you are probably going to want auxiliary power.
Can you tell who is slacking and who is jacking?
Instantly.
Why does the FM-4 prototype not have a motor on it?
If your team is in great shape and has (or desires) full body strength, or if you enjoy down hill sports of any kind, you may want to go as fast as you can. Powered vehicles fall into the USDOT Low Speed Vehicle specification with its 25 mph maximum speed. For most people, this is fast enough, and indeed, since your team will essentially reach the same speed on the FM-4 as your average cruising speed on bicycles, you probably will want some more power. Either way, it's loads of fun.
Why did you make this unusual vehicle?
The FM-4 started life as a way of showing that many short trips simply don't require 4,000 pound cars and everything that comes with that. Implementing the Synchronous Guideway (powered track) concept would allow human power to handle many tasks, and with auxiliary power nearly all commutes could be accomplished. In the synchronous mode, all vehicles travel at one designated speed, creating lane efficiencies far greater than the "creep and crash" method we have accepted as our transportation system. We invite all comers to fit your designs to a standardized SynchGuide interface specification. This could turn out to be a lot of fun.
What about bicycles?
Reynolds gave us one of the greatest invention of all time. But if you need to carry a thousand pounds, or maybe you want to have a lot of fun with you friends, then you can do that with the FM-4. A lot of people don't get the full body workout they are looking for on a bicycle, so there's that too. But we still ride ours regularly.
How is it going to work with Bike Lanes?
The FM-4 isn't going to work everywhere. That's certainly true. Fortunately, the USDOT LSV rules are creating the need for "golf cart" friendly lanes, and some forward thinking planners are providing wider "bike" lanes to enable this inevitable shift away from cars, cars and more cars.
What about cars?
Everybody should build their own. We do. That can be a lot of fun too. Seriously, our goal is to coexist with the radically different small cars that will soon take over our streets.
What about SUV's?
If you are driving up to the slopes, use one. Of course that means that you must enjoy power assisted gravity sports. We do to. However, the SUV is anachronistic in today's high density urban traffic mix.
What about safety?
The TWASTA patent includes the perimeter defensive shield. This is a major advantage over bicycles. High speed testing verifies the ability to maneuver your way out of danger.
The FM-4 has had thousands of people on it, and no injuries. Like any device, safety is up to the operator 99.9% of the time.
Why can't I just go out and buy one right now?
We've all seen the results of inadequate alpha (and beta) testing. We have held back availability until years of on-going testing has verified each and every feature of this new and different technology. The original $250,000 "geometry prototype" has made its presence felt around the world, but the production prototypes (not yet shown to the public) are several generations beyond that. The time is drawing near when all of the elements - manufacturing, marketing, and product optimization - come together in a cost effective and aesthetically pleasing form.
Why does this take so long?
Perception is gradual. When the first prototype in this series hit the road, gas cost 32.9 cents per gallon. You can imagine that large corporations are scared to death of radical change, even though it involves enormous opportunity. Ironically, it is the shift in world reality that now makes thirty plus years of development timely.
What's next?
We're hot rod builders, dirt bike riders, bicycling enthusiasts, and we love all kind of sports, with or without machines, with or without electronics. We love healthy people. You and your family will power yourselves down to the store and back. Then watch for some real exciting radical hardware.
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| the humancar |
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