grnidone
11-12-2006, 05:36 PM
I found this site that has a pedal powered generator: http://www.windstreampower.com/humanpower/ppg.html.
Basically, it's just like a bicycle trainer. A bicycle trainer, for those of you who are not cyclists, allows you to turn your regular bicycle into an exercise bike. You put your rear tire on the trainer and while you pedal it rolls and you stay in one place. With this trainer, the spinning motion powers a small generator which then can power something directly, like a small tv, or you can store your electricity in a battery pack.
What's really funny is the inventor's daughter was doing this in the 70's: in order to watch tv, she had to pedal: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061106/BUSINESS/611060301/1003
Now, if it were me, I'd plug the laptop into the battery pack so the "surging" of my pedal power wouldn't screw up my laptop.
In this way, I can be a geek AND stay in shape.
Basically, it's just like a bicycle trainer. A bicycle trainer, for those of you who are not cyclists, allows you to turn your regular bicycle into an exercise bike. You put your rear tire on the trainer and while you pedal it rolls and you stay in one place. With this trainer, the spinning motion powers a small generator which then can power something directly, like a small tv, or you can store your electricity in a battery pack.
What's really funny is the inventor's daughter was doing this in the 70's: in order to watch tv, she had to pedal: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061106/BUSINESS/611060301/1003
Now, if it were me, I'd plug the laptop into the battery pack so the "surging" of my pedal power wouldn't screw up my laptop.
In this way, I can be a geek AND stay in shape.