New car four-on-the-floor refers to the passengers
Human-powered vehicle, ‘Imagine,’ designed by Takilma resident could be built in Bend area
Charlie Greenwood with a prototype human-powered car. (Photos by Michelle Binker, IVN)
From our weekly issue dated November 28, 2007
In the 1960s, NASA was busily involved in designing the elements needed for the moon landing.
Their scientists were working with giant mainframe computers to create software that would allow precise estimates with stress analysis. Although the technology was available to the general public in 1972, it did not become affordable to entrepreneurs until 1995.
Meanwhile Charley Greenwood, of Takilma, was working for FMC, a multibillion dollar corporation. He had developed the design for a vehicle that would use human power as its means of locomotion. In 1975, Greenwood separated from FMC, came to Illinois Valley, and began working on the project on his own.
Greenwood used the software developed by NASA to help design what is now called the Human Car. The current model is featured this month on the Discovery Science Channel. The show, Invention Nation, features the car; an interview with Greenwood’s son, Chuck; and videos of the car in use. The car also can be seen on You Tube and the Human Car Website.
Illustration shows concept car with sleek body. (Photo by Michelle Binker, IVN)
The current model is entirely human-powered in a manner similar to the old self-propelled railroad handcars. Two people sit facing forward while two more people sit facing the rear and use a push/pull system to propel the vehicle, which features a four-speed transmission and hydraulic braking.
Steering is controlled by leaning into turns. The seats tilt slightly, and this action is transmitted through the chassis to turn the wheels much as a skateboard is steered. Many people would say at this point that the vehicle is a nice novelty, but that its practical application seems limited.
First you need four friends willing to put out the needed physical effort. Next, two of these friends will have to be very trusting, as they will be facing backward the whole trip and will be unable to see what’s happening to the front.
If you watch the video on the Website you’ll understand this trust factor, as it shows Greenwood and friends cruising down Happy Camp Road at speeds of 60 mph,
However, the model in production, the Imagine, is a hybrid vehicle that will use energy created during braking to activate a generator. The generator will charge a battery storage pack. Greenwood says that simple trips to town from his Takilma residence would be no problem at all. The first Imagine is scheduled to be completed in April and will be demonstrated at a Green Car Exposition in Menlo Park, Calif.
The plans are to offer pre-sales of the vehicle so that full production can begin. A tentative plan is in the works to build production facilities in the Bend, Ore. area. Greenwood said that the business community there has good experience in dealing with the carbon fiber technology necessary for the vehicle’s construction.
Greenwood’s stress analysis work also has created a fortunate side-effect. Many in the Illinois Valley community are familiar with the tree houses on Takilma Road. Greenwood obtained building code approvals for the first group of these structures using the same finite element analysis technology used in the engineering of the Human Car. He has also designed much more elaborate tree structures.
One of his tree houses, built in Texas, features a 120-foot water slide from the tree house to an in-ground pool. Greenwood said that this particular tree house actually has its own ZIP code. In all, more than 1,000 tons of load have been put into trees through use of his designs.
The TV show and the Website demonstrate what people are capable of when using their imaginations.
Click here to learn more about how you can tell us what you think
Advertisment:
