Posts Tagged ‘HPV’

2012 – “Octipes Vehiculum” Human Powered Walking Machine – Silas Ulbrich (German)

Text from Video Clip: Octipes Vehiculum is an 8-legged walking machine which I built for my studies in mechanical engieneering in 2012 at my university (Fachhochschule Stralsund, Germany). It is muscle-powered, driven by a pedal movement.

I was inspired by the strandbeesten of Theo Jansen (www.strandbeest.com).

Unfortunately the vehicle isn`t able to walk under full strain because of to less material strenght. However in the movie you can see that it works if the vehicle is jacked.

See technical pdf here.

Source: From correspondence with Silas Ulbrich.

 


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2011 – “Iron Stallion” and other Mechanical Walking Machines – Carter Sharer (American)

Iron Stallion (Pedal Horse)

Carter's linkages remind me somewhat of Alzetta's 1933 horse.  Longer legs, a more powerful motor, lower centre of gravity, steering and one could ride this machine bicycle-like. You start and stop with the person's feet touching the surface of the road. The ride would be a bit bumpy but swift – something lacking in almost all walking machines.


Two horses bolted together give you "Clyde-n-Dale".


Home-made PETMAN – Human Walkers


Spider Machine


Dodeca Machine


See Carter Sharer's website here.

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1981 – “Joggercycle” Hybrid Walking Bicycle – (Japanese)

"Bicycle built for shoe"

Oct (19th?), 1981

Tokyo, Mon. – On your bike – and run!
This ingenious contraption, being driven by a Japanese inventor, is a joggercycle. Pedal power drives a pair of running shoes through a mechanical linkage. The joggercycle reached the finals of a Japanese industrial firm's [RH-Honda] idea contest.


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1934 – Legged Unicycle (American)

from Popular Mechanics , June 1934

STILT CYCLE HAS TWO LEGS INSTEAD OF WHEELS
Wooden legs replace the wheels on a stilt cycle made by a Los Angeles man who proudly boasts that he can now sit down while walking. The two legs are pedaled like a bicycle, the rider balancing on a seat at the end of a vertical bar.
 


 

 

1952
Charles Steinlauf, the owner of a car-repair service in Chicago, has had a passion for bicycles since the age of seven.
One of the most curious of all the Steinlauf bikes is the walking one. Instead of a wheel a robot is used in the form of two human legs. As this curious contraption is pedalled, the dummy legs move with jerky steps. It is rather difficult to balance the walking bike, but to Charles difficulties only mean an additional "kick" out of his creations.


Modern versions of the Walking Unicycle.

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