Bike Crane
Lead Student Name
Carlos Cielo
Executive Summary
While Embry-Riddle is a campus full of innovation, there are issues that are still prevalent regarding on-campus traffic. The combination of pedestrians, cars, and bicycles is providing the campus with a new set of challenges. With an increasing rate in the population of students, it is only eventual that the presence of bicycles on campus only follow this trend.
The rise of bicycles on the Embry Riddle campus leads to a shortage of storage options for them. Traditionally, bikes are stored on bike racks, which consume a large amount of ground putting a clear limit on how many bikes can be stored in a specific space. This ties back to the issue of having bicycle traffic. Reducing the amount of bicycle traffic on campus can be as simple as just changing the way bicycles are stored in the first place.
My solution to storing bicycles and in turn reducing their traffic on campus is by introducing a method which places bicycles on a vertical storage system. A concrete foundation holds in place a permanent metal frame which contains a vertical drive chain powered by a small electric motor. The motor rotates the drive chain in a similar way to how a Ferris wheel operates. Bike racks on hinges are held on the outside of the drive chain by static arms. This way, a bike placed on the rack will always remain oriented no matter its position on the bike crane system. As the drive chain rotates, the bikes on the racks rotate with it.
1 Bike Crane system could easily contain up to 9 bicycles being far more efficient than a traditional bike rack. The benefits of saving space are noteworthy and offer a simple, yet modernized, approach to expanding with limited space available here at Embry-Riddle. This system is not only fit to accommodate personal bicycles but can even be reserved for a bicycle rental service!
Regarding feasibility with a total budget of $5000. The construction of a single Bike Crane system is estimated at ~$1435. This simple, yet elegant solution can easily be constructed and implemented across campus. The relatively low cost compared to the budget is due mainly to the wide availability of both the materials and the technology needed in order to make this vision a reality. Materials like Iron, steel, aluminum, and concrete are widely used by industries around the globe. The technology on the bike crane is also following the basic principles of electricity and computing.
In conclusion, Embry-Riddle is a campus with its eye on the world of tomorrow. Likewise implementing solutions which secure efficiency and simplicity for the future is just as important. The Bike Crane represents these principles and more importantly provides a feasible solution to an issue that is bound to challenge Riddle in the near-future. By learning from innovations of the past and making innovations of our own we can grasp the concept of a future, modern, and attractive Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Bike Crane
While Embry-Riddle is a campus full of innovation, there are issues that are still prevalent regarding on-campus traffic. The combination of pedestrians, cars, and bicycles is providing the campus with a new set of challenges. With an increasing rate in the population of students, it is only eventual that the presence of bicycles on campus only follow this trend.
The rise of bicycles on the Embry Riddle campus leads to a shortage of storage options for them. Traditionally, bikes are stored on bike racks, which consume a large amount of ground putting a clear limit on how many bikes can be stored in a specific space. This ties back to the issue of having bicycle traffic. Reducing the amount of bicycle traffic on campus can be as simple as just changing the way bicycles are stored in the first place.
My solution to storing bicycles and in turn reducing their traffic on campus is by introducing a method which places bicycles on a vertical storage system. A concrete foundation holds in place a permanent metal frame which contains a vertical drive chain powered by a small electric motor. The motor rotates the drive chain in a similar way to how a Ferris wheel operates. Bike racks on hinges are held on the outside of the drive chain by static arms. This way, a bike placed on the rack will always remain oriented no matter its position on the bike crane system. As the drive chain rotates, the bikes on the racks rotate with it.
1 Bike Crane system could easily contain up to 9 bicycles being far more efficient than a traditional bike rack. The benefits of saving space are noteworthy and offer a simple, yet modernized, approach to expanding with limited space available here at Embry-Riddle. This system is not only fit to accommodate personal bicycles but can even be reserved for a bicycle rental service!
Regarding feasibility with a total budget of $5000. The construction of a single Bike Crane system is estimated at ~$1435. This simple, yet elegant solution can easily be constructed and implemented across campus. The relatively low cost compared to the budget is due mainly to the wide availability of both the materials and the technology needed in order to make this vision a reality. Materials like Iron, steel, aluminum, and concrete are widely used by industries around the globe. The technology on the bike crane is also following the basic principles of electricity and computing.
In conclusion, Embry-Riddle is a campus with its eye on the world of tomorrow. Likewise implementing solutions which secure efficiency and simplicity for the future is just as important. The Bike Crane represents these principles and more importantly provides a feasible solution to an issue that is bound to challenge Riddle in the near-future. By learning from innovations of the past and making innovations of our own we can grasp the concept of a future, modern, and attractive Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.