The electric hybrid cycle making active travel accessible to everyone
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become socially isolated, or rely on cars and become
inactive, which can lead to poor physical and mental health
The process that I have carried out for this project has included
looking into the problems that the people in my target market
face so that I could design a solution that would solve their
problems, asking them what features would be important to them
so that I can ensure I include them, and asking them for feedback
in order to develop my designs to the best standard possible
My proposal of a solution to the problem is a personal
transport vehicle that is pedal powered and electrically
assisted, that will allow people, especially older people, to
travel quickly, actively, easily and safely, empowering people
to stay active and mobile, while also reducing the use of cars
2Many older people have trouble walking, and road
crossings may not give them enough time to cross. The lack of accessible active travel solutions mean that they can
What is it?It is a lightweight electric road vehicle designed to empower people by bringing mobility
and freedom to older people who may become more socially isolated as they lose their
ability to travel, allow people to stay more fit and healthy, and reduce road congestion
and carbon dioxide emissions by providing an alternative to cars for commuting and
regular short journeys. There are two models in the range, the commuter, shown below to
the left, is specialised for commuting around city centres and the cruiser, shown to the
right, is aimed more towards leisure and travelling longer distances.
It is designed to benefit
the environment by
providing an alternative
to cars for regular short
journeys such as
commuting to and from
work. Many older
people rely on cars as
their only way of getting
around, but driving ten
miles a day, five days a
week can produce as
much as 3.8 tons of
carbon dioxide
pollution every year, so
for every person who
switches over to using
my electric vehicle, the
strain of travel on the
environment will be
reduced. The lack of
accessible active travel
solutions means that
driving is the only option
for many older people,
and my product aims to
fill this gap in the
market.
Features• Electric motorised assistance for easier travel
• Articulated quadrilateral steering for greater stability
• Regenerative braking for greater energy efficiency
• High capacity battery for maximum range
• Low frame for easy step through
• Relaxed geometry for comfortable seating position
• Accessible seat for easy mounting and dismounting
• Ergonomic grips for a comfortable and secure grip
• Luggage rack for storage of bags and shopping
• Easy rental system for affordable pricing
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How does it work?
To increase the range of the battery, regenerative
braking is utilized when stopping and travelling
downhill. This technology works with the use of a
dynamo, which converts a kinetic turning force into
electrical energy by rotating a magnet within a
magnetic field, inducing a charge in a coil of wire.
When the user applies the brakes, the kinetic energy
lost by slowing down would usually be converted to
heat through the friction between the brake pads
and discs, but by using the turning force from the
wheels to turn a dynamo, some of this energy can be
recovered and used to recharge the battery while in
use, increasing the distance that the vehicle can
travel before needing to be charged again.
It uses a combination of turning force from the electric motor
and from the rider pedalling to propel the vehicle. The aim is
to make the experience of travelling actively as easy as
possible for the ageing members of society, whilst also
providing a way to exercise and keep fit, so the amount of
assistance provided by the motor is controlled to balance
the difficulty of cycling and the amount of power being
used. The additional assistance from the motor is increased
when travelling up hills, so that the rider does not have to
pedal harder than they would on flat ground, and is
gradually increased over the duration of the journey to allow
the user to travel further if they are getting tired. The setting
selected by the user determines exactly how much the
electric power helps out compared to the amount of input
from the rider.
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Accessibility, user interaction and ergonomics
As the product is aimed towards older
people, considerations had to be made
towards various conditions such as arthritis,
weak grip strength, balance difficulties,
frail or weak joints, and low stamina. To
make it easier to get on and off of the
vehicle, the seat can slide up and down
vertically, as well as rotating 90 degrees to
either side, as shown to the right.
For people with arthritis or weak grip strength there
would be options for grips made from soft gel, or grips
that can be moulded to fit the shape of the hand, to
ensure a comfortable and secure grip for anyone.
The articulated quadrilateral
mechanism provides the best
of both worlds between a two
wheeled bicycle and a rigid
chassis tricycle, as it can stand
upright on its own, preventingthe rider from falling over, but
can also lean over for more
effective cornering.
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As the product would require specialist materials and
components to manufacture, it would be very expensive to buy.
For users who would not use it enough for it to be worth leasing
one or buying it on finance, there would be a rental system,
similar to the existing systems present in London and other cities,
allowing customers to pay for how long they want to use it with
a mobile app.
The technologies that would be required are all ones that
already exist today, but used in different ways and not
necessarily used together as they are in this product. The
concept is technically feasible but would require an affordable
rental system to make the project financially viable.
From the research that I have carried out for this project, I have
not come across any existing products that fill the same gap in
the market that I have attempted to fill with my design, so I
believe that it is in fact a new innovation.
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The design journey for this project started off with five basic sketches of different variations thatcould be used. In this stage of the design I explored different layouts that could be used to make thevehicle more stable, from three to four wheels, or even two wheels in a Segway style mechanism.
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Having completed my initial sketches, I then
took the two that I believed to have the most
potential and developed them into simple 3D
models. Autodesk Fusion 360 was my software
of choice for all 3D modelling in this project.
I then took the design that I believed would beeasiest to adapt to meet the users requirementsand developed it further, optimising the shapeof the frame, the seat and the handlebars, andadding more details as well as realistic materials.
After conducting my first survey to find out moreabout the problems that my target market faceand what features are important to them, Icreated the second generation of my designwith a lower frame for easier step through, amore padded seat for improved comfort, and awider chassis for greater stability.
As I found out from the my survey,over half of my target market wouldbe interested in the applications of aproduct such as this to leisureactivities, so I have designed themore luxurious, top of the rangeflagship model to be morespecialised towards this, with a morerelaxed seating position, larger wheelsand a wider, longer wheelbase.
This page aims to show how I created the various parts of my 3D concept using Fusion 360.
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An important part of this project was the iterative design process, a constant cycle of obtaining feedback from the potential customers and implementing changes to better meet their requirements. I did this by conducting surveys, first to find out more about the problems that I was trying to solve, and what features would be important to the target market on a product that aims to help them overcome these barriers.
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These results show that there would be a large market for the product as a large majority of my target market regularly carry
out the activities that the product is intended to assist with.
These results show one of the problems that my project aims
to solve, by providing
an accessible alternative to fuel
burning vehicles which pollute the atmosphere with carbon dioxide.
These results show that the mostpopular reason for not travellingactively by cycle is journeys beingtoo long. I aimed to solve this issuewith my design by making journeyseasier and allowing users to gofurther than they could on aconventional bicycle.
These results show that, if theissues previously outlined werenot present, a significantproportion of people in mytarget market would beinterested in using the product,and many more who have notcompletely written off thepossibility could potentially beconvinced in the future.
These results show that the most popular features are those such as powerful electronic assistance, stability, long battery life and environmentally friendly, reinforcing the need for features which I was already planning on including and giving me additional suggestions.
These results show that over half theparticipants would be interested inusing the product for leisure. This is what
made me decide to design the Cruiser,to be more specialised towards this.
After making creating my second generation design based on the results of the previous questions, I found that most of my target audience would in one way or another, be interested in using the product.
This shows the average score given for how
well the people though the product would meet their needs in
terms of accessibility. Although this is fairly
good, it shows there is still room for
improvement.
After finalising my design by implementing some
of the suggestions that I had been given by
members of my target group in the previous
surveys, including a luggage rack for storage
and the rotating seat mechanism that can be
seen on page 5, I conducted a third survey to
find out what the potential customers thought of
the final outcome. I did this by providing them
with rendered images of my design and a full
description of the product, and asking for
feedback. I received an average score of 7.6
out of 10 for how interested they would be in
using the product, and 7.8 out of 10 for how well
they think it would meet their needs in terms of
accessibility, which is a significant improvement
from the 6.1 that I got on the previous survey.
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At the end of this project, I have now developed my design
through several iterations of collecting feedback from my target
market, adding important features and making changes to
better suit their needs, however it is not perfect. If I were to
continue this project further then there are still more features
that could potentially be integrated into my design, such as anti
theft measures, and more suspension for a smoother riding
experience. Some people have also mentioned that it would be
too large to take on to public transport. Although the product is
mainly intended to replace the need for public transport
altogether, there may still be a market for a third model that can
be folded to be more compact, also for storage when not in use
when a garage is not available. I also received responses
mentioning how it could be useful for children with conditions
such as autism or down syndrome who struggle to balance on a
standard bicycle. Although the original brief was to make active
travel more accessible for the older generation, the solution that
I have designed could also be beneficial for children with
disabilities, so the product could also be made in smaller sizes to
cover a wider range of potential users.
“Great idea , looks impressive”
“Bringing a bit of fun back to people great idea”
“Great idea for us as we age and may not be as fit”
“Looks amazing”
“It is a very thought after design. Well done”
“Brilliant design”
“The work looks phenomenal and well planned. Bravo!”
“They look well thought out & designed & I’d happily use one.”
“Fabulous idea and design”
“Looks really good, comfortable and steady”
“Design looks modern and robust”
“Great idea to combine pedal power and electric assistance.”
“Fantastic idea”
“Fantastic product. Well done”
“Excellent modern design.”