Robotic Bicycle Adventure Across America
Steven Robert’s Microship project is a “technomadic” (technology nomad, get it?) adventure traveling the country with his computer laden recumbent bicycle which is now on display in the computer history museum, situated in Silicon Valley.
The nomadic research laboratory created amphibian pedal, solar, and sailing devices. They created all this with the help of their 160 corporate sponsors, consultants and many volunteers.
One of their most famous works is the microship (pictured above). The center hull is made of materials like fiberglass structures, canoes of plastic, aluminum, vinyl for using in river running abuse. The mechanism is used in a way that absolute floatation is used in case of flooding. The odyssey canoe hulls are the ideal starting base for this project.
Odyssey Vehicle Specs:
- 42 pounds
- Kevlar ultralight construction
- 18.5 in length
- Flat bottom from bow to stern
- 13.5†center depth
- 35†maximum width
- 32.5†waterline width
The landing gear steering is situated at the beginning of the deck and the two wooden strips are attached to the sides of the hull to make it stiffer. Gunwale belly is the area in the cockpit area which provides horizontal surfaces for armrests and control, support to the equipment console, installing retractable seat, essential fixtures which allows space to sleep and vertical walls support the solar panels.
Horizontal flat section is situated is front of the open cockpit space which is used for equipment console area with computers and communication gears. Again, check out the microship website for more info.
You’ll also enjoy:
- All of our robotics and circuitry projects.
- Many of the microship projects are solar powered. Go green and learn how to build your own DIY solar projects.
