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Competition Offers $250,000 to Design Pedal-Powered Helicopter
- jackmoore 17y agoMight as well make it a million.
- jwilliams 17y agoThe rules are here: http://www.vtol.org/awards/hphregs.html http://www.vtol.org/awards/hphregs.html They've covered most of the loopholes - including storing energy, etc. Perhaps more interesting, there is no limit on the size of the crew.
- Tichy 17y agoI understand the storing energy rule, but it seems to me it defies the purpose of the competition. Without storing energy, wouldn't the helicopter come crashing down as soon as you stopped pedaling (or whatever you do)? Surely there would have to be some way to take a break without dieing.
- jwilliams 17y agoThey exclude the stored energy of the "rotating aerodynamic components". So you can have energy in the system, but you can't sit there cycling for an hour charging a battery. (They also exclude the crew taking stimulants and drugs).
- Tichy 17y agoWhat about artificial legs?
- jwilliams 17y agoI guess you're referring to the South African runner that wasn't allowed to run in the Olympics with artificial legs. If I recall, the issue wasn't an energy advantage, but the recovery. He could train at maximum level, and simply grab a new pair - whereas his competitors would have to worry about injury. (So I guess there was an energy equation, but a different one - the energy of the artificial legs slowly breaking). In this case, I'd guess that would be a non issue. However, I equally don't see it as being a huge advantage... At the outside, perhaps a weight one.
- amalcon 17y agoInteresting. So, the winner will probably have a bunch of slightly inefficient flywheels that technically provide a tiny amount of lift and/or thrust, charge those up, and use them to power the main rotor.
- simonb 17y agoIf the engine cuts off the helicopter doesn't necessarily plummet to the ground. See autorotation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorotation_%28helicopter%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorotation_%28helicopter%29
- 10ren 17y agoSome videos on the Wired story: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/09/human-powered-helicopter/ http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/09/human-powered-helicopte... There's ground effect because it's so low (0.2 m), but it's still unbelievably cool.
- nestlequ1k 17y agoI'd imagine physics is going to have something to say about this...
- eru 17y agoYou just need much better drugs to release more energy per kg of flesh. Ask the cyclist of the Tour de France how they do it.
- fookyong 17y agoget tired, die! doesn't sound like my cup of tea.
- Andys 17y ago1. Build an electric helicopter with batteries and a pedal-powered dynamo 2. Pedal for hours/days to charge the battery 3. Fly helicopter on battery power 4. Collect $250,000
- christofd 17y agoHmmm... with break-throughs in current materials science, like super light-weight composites, there might be a way to build a structure strong and light enough. Would be a cool project for a research lab with funding and people.
- btw0 17y agoIsn't it the same thing as lifting the body of oneself up in the air for 1 minute? Human being can't do it without outside help.