Inspire innovation this summer by biking to the future with the ELF, a new mode of transportation trying to bridge the gap between bicycles and cars. Then explore the science of riding a bike with a short video from QUEST. And check out the power of bikes, innovation and mentors with SciGirls.
Bike to the Future
There’s a new vehicle hitting the road that’s trying to bridge the gap between bicycles and cars. We’ve seen electric assist bicycles before. But never one like this. The ELF, from Organic Transit, is a recumbent tricycle, with a solar panel on top, and a trunk in the rear. It’s a single occupancy vehicle that marries the environmental benefits of a bike with the personal convenience of a car. Inventor Rob Cotter hopes his 150-pound invention entices people to reduce their dependence on single-occupancy vehicles.
The Science of Riding a Bicycle
Riding a bicycle might be easy. But the forces that allow humans to balance atop a bicycle are complex. Take a ride on a research bicycle and explore a collection of antique bicycles in this QUEST video.
Pedal Power with SciGirls
The SciGirls work side-by-side with their mentor and rely on her expertise as a mechanical engineer to help them troubleshoot their bike-powered ice cream maker design. Seeing women who have succeeded in STEM helps inspire and motivate girls, especially when they can relate to these mentors as people with lives outside of their job.