HumanCar Test Drive

Aesthetically ugly. Noisy. Still have to wear a helmet.
Unprotected, not good. Batteries are extremely toxic, so
not remotely eco-friendly. And likely not at all fast enough
to be acceptable on the highway. Also, how does one go
about licensing this thing? Is it a bike, or a vehicle?
Should it even be allowed on the road? How much road rage
will it inspire? If it is licensed, and one rides it drunk, is
one subject to the same DUI charges that a car driver
would be?
I'm not seeing broad market potential. I'm seeing hobby kit
car for a few odd people.

Can it be licensed as a car? No? It's not a car.

Human powered deathtrap. Also, the handles are a bit too reminiscent of eXisTenZ for my liking.

2 person steering? Why flush away part of your energy by converting it into electricity instead of sending it directly to the wheels? Why use the arms when the legs are stronger? You could go further on less energy, on a bike. This looks like a fun toy, but it gives serious alternative vehicles a bad image.

This seems like one of those ideas that stay in a perpetual state of development.

Jeesh guys at least someone is trying. Sure, it's rough and it's not perfect by a long shot but if someone builds on that concept and then another builds on that and another who knows? Maybe some day it could work.

Not likely to ever work-kind of a laws of physics thing. Bicycles are one of the more effecient energy converters around, and are already around. Mainly, with this thing, you've got major energy issues to tackle. First, the sheer weight of the thing negates any, if not all benefits from either legs or arms. Two guys equals approximately four hundred lbs, which they have to move along. The gears in it, are at top efficiency, with tremendous weight added to them, and no way to overcome that (because one has to go to literally heavier gears, and then the efficiency is lost, said heavier gears have extra weight to push around). There isn't any way to overcome that. Factor in the weight of the batteries-batteries are very heavy, and depending on the number, quite a lot. Batteries and bodies are tasked with pushing around what is now likely several hundred pounds, so speed is slow, efficiency is lost (they were breathing hard just going a short distance), there are no gains, toxicity eliminates any so-called eco friendliness, and the unfortunate fact of the matter is, they can try, and try, til the cows come home, but those engineering problems will likely never be overcome. These guys are not engineers. They're not eve3n very good at tinkering.

ernest: by the looks of it its a kind of rowing machine set up: the poewer still comes from the legs, arm are just for holding on.

how the hell do you steer? Just thinking about how you would swerve whilst "rowing"...

Matt- Might I recommend the site of Derk Thys to you to answer your question?

http://rowingbike.com/site/EN/

He's one of the main developers of rowingbikes in the world. His bikes are quite powerful human powered bikes that do very well in both races and as commuter-bikes.

From his bikes to the Himancar with electrical assistance is just a small step.

Hello everyone- happy to chime on this thread as there's quite a bit of confusion here. I can hit some bullets for you.

In hopes to create an intelligent discussion vs. non-researched and frankly naive (Mr. Rasmussen?) dialogue I can set the record straight...

* I'm not the inventor- Charles Samuel Greenwood P.E. is the inventor/engineer
* What you see is a research vehicle that creates 3.1kW mobile
* Engineering http://humancar.com/design.htm
* We have been in this long enough to see psychological reflections emerge from miscomprehension of design/application such above (idea: perhaps just Google a topic before you make uninformed claims to the entire world with your first and last name - our engineering dept. among other areas is the world authority on the stress analysis of treehouse design see http://treehouseengineering.com/
* Large departments of engineers have failed to recreate the HC interface- there's more technology in the HC X-Axle than we can mention here. Takeaway - it's DARPA level engineering.

Bottom line: Subjectively it's a fight or flight response to defend the actual physical component of operating the device. If you are scared that's OK.

Yes, it's 100% full body and (the original geometry mule FM4) has 1000's of operators and hundreds of miles on it. This vehicle the Imagine PS is a platform for an array of vehicles we are building right now.
* The vehicle may operate one a SuyncGuideway http://humancar.com/synchguideway.htm

No it's not designed or should be operated at highway speeds. This falls into the 'duh' category

This system is currently the highest output human powered device in the world @ 3.1kW - and yes it has 110v AC out-

Prof. Greenwood P.E. created 1.1 hp BY HIMSELF for SBS Korean TV

An entire line of vehicles and home power stations dovetail from this project

A measured percentage of people is calculated (especially in the USA) to fail the comprehension test so in a way (some of) the above posts are a bulls-eye to our non-comprehension data. It's all good.

4,000 lb vehicles are boat anchors and the 350kg vehicle class is the next deal.

Other vehicles in this space will be known as 'humancars'

We will see a human-electric from eg BMW w/in 24 months...

thanks- Chuck G CEO HC Inc.

While I find it very disturbing that the batteries are toxic, or so says most of the responders thus far, I have to admit, I liked everything about this vehicle except for the price. I am a recently returned Peace Corps volunteer without a job or a vehicle living at home until I find both and everything in me wants this vehicle for myself but also as a consciousness-raiser for those around me. I live in South Carolina deep in Red State JesusLand and while it might sound judgmental, I feel that there are many in my community who need the breath of fresh air up their skirts that the sight of one of these machines rolling through town would be. all that said... 15.5K?? Even 5K would be pushing it for me but I'm probably not the targeted consumer humancar is going after.. Maybe post the plans for the home garage tinkerer, that might be the ticket to changing the world..?? Outsource to other parts of the US, WHY WHY WHY was this treasure in Korea? My grandfather, who retired from New Process Gear, told me that the existence of the Asian auto industry can be traced back to when the General Motors higher-ups sold out the company and led a group of Asian entrepreneurs through their factories for cash. The one thing worse to the bottom line than garage tinkerers ripping-off your ideas is China or Japan doing the same thing and the profit not even staying at home...