Human-powered transport
Human-powered transport is
transport of person and/or goods powered by
human muscle.
Along with
animal-powered transport, also in existence since time , it includes some of the first instances of transport before
machines, relatively recent products of culture, although machines have been used to enhance human-powered movement, which is often still used by choice, as in sport, exercise or therapy, or can still be the only power source, especially in underdeveloped or inaccessible regions. It constitutes an ideal form of Sustainable transportation.
Encyclopedia
Human-powered transport is
transport of person and/or goods powered by
human muscle.
Along with
animal-powered transport, also in existence since time , it includes some of the first instances of transport before
machines, relatively recent products of culture, although machines have been used to enhance human-powered movement, which is often still used by choice, as in sport, exercise or therapy, or can still be the only power source, especially in underdeveloped or inaccessible regions. It constitutes an ideal form of Sustainable transportation.
Available muscle power
The average "in-shape" cyclist can produce about 3 watts/kg for more than an hour , with top amateurs producing 5 watts/kg and elite athletes achieving 6 watts/kg for similar lengths of time. Elite track sprinters are able to attain an instantaneous maximum output of around 2,000 watts, or in excess of 25 watts/kg; elite road cyclists may produce 1,600 to 1,700 watts as an instantaneous maximum in their burst to the finish line at the end of a five-hour long road race.
Types
Human movement using only one's own body
...
Human self-movement using object and sheer muscle power
...
or similar wheeled vehicle, including collective variatons such as
tandem bicycle and
side-carHuman self-movement using object, muscle power and a natural force
Here the human effort is not dominant in the actual locomotion, but essential in steering, and often take-off.
Human transport of others and/or load using object and muscle power
Some of the vehicles mentioned in other categories above also exist in a version with cargo and/or passengers, such as the
galleyVarious of the above also stood model for a motorized variation.
Related subjects
A
human-powered vehicle is a
vehicle powered solely by human muscle.
The most common and most efficient human-powered vehicle is the
bicycle. Of more limited but still sometimes functional use are the
tricycle and some
rowing boats. Of common recreational use are the
skateboard,
ice skates and
roller skates. Many other kinds of vehicles can employ human power, including
submarines,
aircraft,
hydrofoils,
hovercraft and kinetic sculpture vehicles.
In 1969, artists in a small northern California town began the
Kinetic sculpture race which has grown to a 42 mile , three-day all terrain, human-powered sculpture race and county wide event. It is held every year in the last weekend in May.
The first officially authenticated take-off and landing of a
human-powered aircraft was done in November 1962 by
Derek Piggott in
Southampton University's Man Powered Aircraft . . Perhaps the best-known human-powered plane is the
Gossamer Albatross, which flew across the
English Channel in 1979.
Recumbent bicycles are the fastest human-powered vehicles because they are more aerodynamic than upright bicycles while having a similar energy transfer efficiency. In 2002,
Sam Whittingham pedaled a streamliner for 200 m at 130.36 km/h in the
As of 2005, that run still holds the
Olympic Cyclist and IRONMAN triathlon winner,
John Howard set a 244.9 km/h speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah on July 20, 1985 while drafting in the wake of the motorized Vesco Streamliner pace car. The pace vehicle reduced the aerodynamic drag that Mr. Howard pedalled against to near nothing .
See also
External links
