Human-powered insanity

[gfish]

There is an article on Slashdot about this year's Kinetic sculpture race in Baltimore. Build a human powered contraption (emphasis on contraption) and drive it through various obstacles. (Pictures here.)


An amazingly elegant entry from last year. Wildly impractical, but Just. So. Cool.

So, of course, I'm thinking it would be fun to do it next year. My immediate idea was a hovercraft. A giant, human-powered hovercraft. Just to think outside of the box, the propulsion wouldn't even need to be a propeller. Could use a floating drive wheel and oars for a nice technological macedoine. (Spiffy word care of randomdreams!)

The rules say 'It is legal to get assistance from the natural power of water, wind, sun, gravity and friendly extraterrestrials.' I can't help but wonder if a solar furnace powering a steam turbine would be allowed. Probably too dangerous.

Comments

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

The twenty fourth annual boulder kinetic challenge (http://www.kbco.com/wherewhat/kinetics_form2.html) is this Saturday if you'd like to enter one a bit closer to Seattle next year (and have local heavy machinery support.)

[shandryl.livejournal.com]

First you need to build a Dyson sphere...

[tithonium.livejournal.com]

...