"Prototype, Concept and Dreams"

The bronze awardee for the vehicle design category at the Lotus Prize 2008, the solar man is a vehicle powered by an electricity, but taking advantage of the solar energy to make sure that the device is always full and eliminates air pollution. The solar man can be used under any condition in any country because it can easily be folded and weighs only 12 kilograms allowing the users to take it with them in public transport. If you were not able to charge the vehicle with the solar energy, you do not have to worry because it also has an internal plug that can be extended for charging purposes.

Bikes or trikes are usually considered ideal for short-distance traveling, allowing bikers to make their way through cramped roads in urban environments. However, in the recent days, we have seen plenty of biking nomads covering longer trips on their bicycle that not just helps in sustaining the environment but also keeps bikers in good shape. Inspired by the re-incarnation of bikes, the Sdesign Unit has devised a travel bike called “X3” that allows long-distance bicycle travelers to cover 80km-120km per day without over-straining their bodies. Finished with carbon fiber and plastic, the bike is not just lightweight and durable, but its compact measurements (H1020 X W900 X D2300 mm) apart from easy storage (rather parking) also support effortless maneuvering in trying conditions.

Featuring the frame finished with aluminum and carbon fiber with a PC plastic body, designer Morteza Faghihi has popped up with a bike concept dubbed “DH Bike” that not just boasts a stylish and durable design but also meets the standard of UCI (Union Cycling International) and JIS dimension for size 26. Especially designed for DH racing, the futuristic bike touts better controls and more flexible suspension system. Presenting a simple hydraulic system for smooth steering, the racing bike presents a front fork with a 4-links mechanism, together with one shock absorber to prevent transfers of the shocks on the frame. The hydraulic system decreases the effect of road shocks to the driver’s hands and makes the bike easier to control on the rocky roads.

With the pollution choking us down to the wire and our modern day commuters being the biggest contributors, public transportation and bicycles could serve us some respite. We have designers who could help us know how these bicycles and public commuters can together be used to help us and they are more than capable for their design won a Seymour Powell award for best concept in the “Future City Mobility” design competition. This group involving designers Marten Wallgren, Il Choi, David Seesing, and Miika Hekkinen created multiple vehicles designed to integrate with a special bicycle and an electric scooter. The group considered the estimated traffic congestion in the centre of the London City in 2030.
They planned to create a car-free zone dubbed the London Garden and this zone had a system of bicycles whereby the energy created while riding would serve as a currency that you could pay while boarding a bus or a taxi. The energy produced while riding a bus could inturn power the bus that will run on internal batteries. The entire concept sounds alien as of now but will soon have to be implied if the human race wants to survive.

We have seen some of the highly portable bikes in the past, but designer Yong Min Seo, introducing a new and special function, has come up with an innovative city bike that besides being simple also supports a great speed of the folding. Called “CIB”, the city bicycle replaces the paper fold type function of earlier bikes with the jack-knife-type-function, conferring the riders with a comfortable ride, together with an easier and faster folding function. To fold the bicycle into a compact size, all you have to do is turn the bicycle’s saddle, push the locking button and pull the front frame upwards, then the rear wheel comes to the front wheel and both the wheels comes together to be locked up by the locking button.

E' un’interessante concept-bike del designer Chen Chun Tung, un prototipo per ora solo grafico di una bicicletta in grado di catturare l’energia pulita e gratuita del vento e del sole per ricaricare una batteria.

Successivamente questa idea si potrà utilizzare per i dispositivi hitech o per la pedalata assistita?

Designed to meet the style of contemporary vehicles, the “Triclo” by designer Randall Marin is a three-wheeled vehicle powered by pedals that not only presents an organic form to balance out in visual volume and mass but also keeps the rider in good physical shape.

Finished with recycled materials to trim down the huge piles of auto waste, the zero-emission vehicle presents a unique design, which invariably attracts the attention of passersby.

Ideal for urban environments, the Triclo is a low-cost vehicle for shorter distances that supports an eco-friendly lifestyle.

You name it and it has it all. Loaded with technology, Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman’s new concept of the futuristic bicycle fulfills all that you ever longed for in your bike.

The creation offers you safe parking with its computerized locking system, so only your fingerprints can unlock it.

This hi-tech design also lets you know the amount of calories you lose while pedaling, on a mini screen embedded on its saddle.

The strong and lightweight dream bicycle is made up of carbon fiber and incorporates puncture-proof tires.

It further features a solar powered motor with solar panels to let you ride without peddling.

Simple to look at, its center-less and spoke less wheels lets you go easy on peddling, while playing your favorite music. But, unfortunately you will have to wait for 20 more years to let this concept hit the market.

Pulse is an innovative urban bike concept formed to meet all the standard necessities of bike commute.
This bike features electric turn signals, located both on the edge of each handle and at the rear indicator light, that can be controlled form the handlebars and a glowing frame that lights up when the rider needs it.
The specially designed caged pedals of this bike always remain in a “right way round” manner, which allows the rider not to suffer from having to clip into inconvenient conventional upside down pedals.
Pulse, with its compact design and efficient functionalities, would be an ultimate transportation solution that is synchronized with the urban denizen needs.

The Eboard Tracker concept doesn’t focus on just a transport vehicle, rather the designer has envisioned it as an eco-friendly, small and funny motorbike that can run at up to 30 mph and ensures better twisting around the corner of the street with its compact and light design.
This bike contains hand throttle instead of traditional electric pedaling and features light, simple and optical flowing frame. A beam girder from section-I and hydro-formed tubes welded together in order to strengthen the steering head. The handlebar is shaped like an ace-bar which is fully adjustable and includes a cycle computer on top with speed, battery status and estimated remaining battery capacity readings.

This bike features a very close to “vintage racer” look with its regenerative breaking and a hub battery since they are similar to a set of drum brakes. The chain is swapped for a carbon shaft, bevel drive and nylon hypoid gears enclosed in right swing arm. Behind the pedal shafts, a small six speed cassette type remains hidden and comes operational if the battery becomes flat any time. Both pedals are lockable at 180 degrees and can be used as foot pegs.

Designer: Jean François Vicente

Cojoy is a bicycle concept for two persons, inspired from the dual paddle boat along with an operational wheelchair, and is designed to offer sheer fun for the bicycle riders.

Each rider is designed to control one wheel separately of the bicycle.

The seat angle of the concept is totally adjustable by using the handle according to the need of individual riders. It runs straight when two riders pedal at the same speed and when it requires to turn, the outer rider will ride faster than the inside rider.

Riding this bicycle requires a good communication, cooperation and a minimum skill.

Designer: Pengtao Yu

Coming from the house of Michigan-based design firm Jruiter, here is an inner city bike concept that seems to be more about fashion and culture than speed and performance.
Designed as a Spartan two-wheeler for short-range urban travel, the city bike features a minimalist design for easy commutation and parking in urban environments.
Drawing inspiration from the “hobby horse” and the cafe racer, the bicycle removes basic key components to create a new type of minimal city bike.
Integrating 29″ rims, huge big apple tires, a rear hub (planetary internal freewheeling, unicycle through axle) and a single front disc brake, the stripped-down bike is easy to control and allows quick turns while generating huge power from the rear wheel.

Most bicycles, whether conventional or contemporary, present a simple and minimal design, and don’t leave much scope for modification. However, the new hinged recumbent bike by Daniel Finkelstein is a bike with a difference that changes or shifts its position according to the needs of the rider. Entitled the “Altercycle,” the latest bicycle by the Canadian designer makes use of a gas spring, used in an average office chair, which helps in shifting (from high to low and vice versa) the position. When riding in the city, users may opt for the higher position that not only allows better visibility but also reduces the size of the wheelbase for easy movement. While on the other hand, the lower position allows the benefits of a conventional recumbent bike on a downtown ride.

Designer Gabor Baranyai continues to impress with his futuristic designs. Earlier we covered his Apple Car concept, and now the designer has popped up with a flowing bicycle to take you on an eco ride. Dubbed the “Ellipsis,” the curvy bike moves on green tires made with eco-friendly defatted soy flour instead of carbon black. The frame is extruded aluminum, which is a lot easier to recycle than fashionable carbon fiber. Featuring ellipse shaped springs molded into the rubber foam seat for comfort, the bike integrates plexi wheel hubs to enhance its sleek look. The ellipse shape symbolizes the path of planets while naturally creating the feel of continuous movement. Check out the video after the jump.

Conceived by Saudi Arabian designer Yaser Banjar, the “Aerok” is an innovative bicycle for a new racing sport wherein the rider needs to position himself/herself flat on the chest like a swimmer. Inspired by Formula 1 racing, the Aerok is made in carbon fiber to provide stability at high speed. Cycling the legs to increase the speed, the rider has to move the arms front and back for better controls when turning to different sides. While the outside shape called “shell” other than protecting the rider from accidents also lets the air pass smoothly and increases the speed of the vehicle.

The B1K concept bicycle has been designed as a race bike by incorporating various unique features aiming to make it suitable for convenient riding on different surfaces.

The unique chainless design of the bike allows the rider not to worry about a chain displacing anymore and provides great control over the bike.

The carbon fiber construction along with the compact shape of the bike has made it lightweight. The unique tubeless construction of the tires has made it even more functional and the rod connecting the seat and the head tube helps splitting the weight of the rider to ensure soft riding.

With urban areas fast turning into concrete jungles, people apart from other life pressures have to undergo the pressure to reach the office in time, parking problems and environmental concerns in their day-to-day lives. Addressing these issues, Italian designer Alessandro Palombarini has come up with a portable bicycle named “SubUrban” that smartly fits into the urban lifestyle and helps you take charge of your life. Moving swiftly through maddening traffic jams, the bicycle folds into a compact size, as its tires always stay parallel, so you could drag it as a trolley with minimum fuss on crowded streets, public transportation, sidewalks and even stairs.

With new advancements in materials and manufacturing techniques, modern or futuristic products are becoming minimal, presenting simple though attractive products.

The futuristic bicycle by Wisconsin-based designer John Villarreal features an identical bike design that removing all extra parts from the body and wheels not only looks gorgeous but seems to promise a comfortable ride.

Featuring a lightweight body, possibly finished in carbon fiber or power coated aluminum, the futuristic bicycle also integrates LED lights on the handlebar and at the rear to ensure safety at night.

And hubless wheels simply give it a trendy, futuristic look.

The compact and lightweight Roadrunner trike concept has been designed to ride on the tarmac that can carry up to 25kg of load. This three wheeler transportation concept is ideal for those who are having trouble with keeping balance on traditional two-wheeled bicycles. The featured wind guard and mud visor offers convenient riding when it is raining. Aside from pedal drive, the trike features secondary electric motor rear wheel which gets power from the lithium-polymer battery pack (other types of batteries can also be used) placed in the forward basket. The use of ultra modern carbon-fiber construction keeps the weight of the trike as low as 26kg only and the combination of physical activity and battery powered drive ensures complement for the environment and keeps the user healthy.

Designer: Cikaric Dragan

The cars or bikes of the petrol police are effective, but not in all aspects, especially in case of an area that is difficult to reach due to congestion. Police bike is an innovative bicycle concept that can improve the effectiveness of the police force with better visibility and great mobility. Aside from pursuing a criminal, it would be very much handy to extend relationship between police and residents and tourists by improving education, information and communication or can be used to gather data about remote areas. The compact, lightweight and durable frame of the bicycle includes red-blue lights, equipment compartment, GPS, siren, beverage container and many more useful equipments.

Designer: Ciprian Frunzeanu

The styling concept bicycle has been designed mainly focusing on aesthetics that may eliminate the prestigious complexity among the users, which is one of the key reasons of disappearing bicycles from the current roads. The designer has drastically changed the appearance of a conventional bicycle, making it real sporty, which will surely encourage mass users to ride with pride on the styling bicycle. The unique color combination of the bicycle gives the rider a fresh feeling and most of the parts made of carbon fiber, making the bicycle durable and lightweight. Moreover, to make it efficient enough to sustain on the competitive road tracks, the bicycle features various functional elements such as windshield, speedometer, 3 line spokes, disc brakes, asymmetric wheels, and many more.

Designer: Vivek Sasindran

Set to be display as part of its sponsorship of the Great British Bike Ride, Japanese automaker Lexus has come up with a new hybrid bicycle concept that other than pedaling runs on a 240-Watt electric motor powered by a 25.9-volt lithium battery pack, allowing a power ride without incorporating the engine.

Intended toward white-collar workers living in cities, the “Co2” by Taiwan-based designer Tang Ming-deng is an electric bicycle concept to allow safe and sustainable commutation in urban environments. Based in the natural process of photosynthesis, the new electric bicycle opens or spreads its leaf windows, exposing inside chloroplast to the sunlight, to accomplish the photosynthesis process to move the bike on sustainable energy. The conversion of chemical energy to kinetic energy is a brand new form to transmit the environmental consciousness. The bike concept not only cuts the fuel cost but also reduces the carbon emissions, making cities a better place to live.
Featuring a utility steering wheel to monitor the amount of power and control the speed, the sustainable bike also includes a suspension fork system and rear shock absorber system, while the treadle assists the rider to get on the bike with ease and offers motor energy to produce electricity in cloudy weather. The Co2 also include transmission motors on the left and right wheels to power the bike.

Developed with a goal of increasing bicycle commuting and creating a class of new transportation, the “Pulse” by industrial designer Timothy Daw is a hybrid bicycle that backs the pedal power with electric propulsion to boost zero-emission commutation with minimum physical efforts. Housing a rechargeable battery system, two 26V lithium-ion batteries for 75 miles of assisted biking, within the rear frame to preserve the aesthetics of the bicycle, the hybrid bike also includes streamlined traffic indicators, headlight and break light to ensure complete safety on cramped city roads. The throttle-controlled 250W motor adds an assisted pedaling experience when biking uphill or into a strong headwind. Moreover, the Pulse folds into a compact size for easy storage and transportation, which makes it a characteristic modern urban vehicle.