This is the Pardo, a concept human powered vehicle. Kind of cool looking, right? Like a big pedal-powered go-kart. Now take a look at this picture:
Less cool, and much more scary. The Pardo (short for guepardo, Spanish for cheetah) splays the rider out prone on its plywood surface where he can cling to the small handle and start to pray for survival. Those pedals at the back are used in concert, you pump them together like a frog pumping his legs to jump, and this sends you flying forwards, face-first into oblivion. As for steering, a good deal of luck (and perhaps leaning) appears to be involved. The body of the cheetah folds in two, so it can be safely tucked in the basement when you are done terrifying yourself.
Not content with cool-looking renders of his design, Argentinian Pablo Lopez actually built a working prototype. It actually looks like a lot of fun, and it’s certainly a great antidote to beardo-recumbents. As you may have guessed, this is unavailable to buy, but it seems that money-making isn’t Lopez’ aim. “My main goal is transmitting and creating sensations”, he says.
Move Like a Cheetah with this Incredible Human Powered Vehicle [Treehugger]
Post a Comment