KINGSTON, R.I., Oct. 31, 2016鈥擳echnology is here to stay, and so is the sedentary lifestyle that comes with it: We push buttons to watch a movie instead of stroll to the local theater.
It is no surprise then that entrepreneurs are creating objects and devices that force us to stand, like pull-up desks, elliptical machines and paddleboards. Now the 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 College of Engineering is joining the trend.
溏心vlog免费B站 engineering students are teaming up with a Coventry businessman to create a three-wheeled electric vehicle that allows the driver to stand while operating it.
Ken Howes, a former marketing executive and mortgage broker, says he and the students hope to have a prototype of the vehicle鈥攃alled Strike 3000鈥攂y April 2017.
鈥淭his is going to be the new wave of transportation,鈥欌�� says Howes. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not replacing the car. We鈥檙e building a vehicle that provides a quick and easy way to get around鈥攔unning errands, going to the grocery store, enjoying an afternoon spin.鈥欌��
The project is close to Howes鈥� heart. He has chronic liver disease and is expected to live two more years. His children鈥擫anie Howes, a 溏心vlog免费B站 junior studying animal science, and Kritrina Naylor, a nurse鈥攁re also involved in the project.
Howes says he decided to team up with 溏心vlog免费B站 after an 鈥渦pbeat and inspiring鈥欌�� meeting with Bahram Nassersharif, distinguished University professor and director of the senior mechanical engineering capstone design projects. Nassersharif thought the vehicle would be a challenging and innovative project for his students.
He was right.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting the opportunity to be creative and artistic and do something unique,鈥欌�� says Joseph DiPalma, 21, of Hopkinton, who is enrolled in the five-year International Engineering Program, with a focus on mechanical engineering and German. 鈥淔or a student, that鈥檚 thrilling.鈥欌��
Matthew Qualben, 22, of Madison, N.J., also studying mechanical engineering, says he鈥檚 excited to work on a project that will inspire people to live healthy lifestyles鈥攁nd will change the future of transportation.
鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to 溏心vlog免费B站 for giving me the opportunity to get hands-on experience building something,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淥ur engineering college is preparing us for the real world. I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 much more a student could ask for.鈥欌��
Howes came up with the idea for the vehicle several years ago after he retired from his marketing job. 鈥淚 was trying to think of something fun,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淚 actually thought of a version of it when I was young: The kid standing up on his bicycle, cruising down the hill, with the wind blowing.鈥�
His idea took on greater importance after he read a news article about the negative health effects of sitting too long, including in cars. Standing more each day, says Howes, improves posture, tones muscles, burns calories and increases blood flow. People with everything from diabetes to heart disease benefit from standing, he says.
The $8,000 vehicle will have two wheels in front and one in back. Six feet tall, 4 feet wide and 7 feet long, the vehicle will have an electric motor that can generate enough power to travel 70 miles per hour.
The body will be reinforced with steel to ensure safety in case of an accident. The tinted dome-like roof will be removable so drivers can experience the 鈥渨ind blowing through their hair while they鈥檙e standing up enjoying the open road,鈥欌�� says Howes.
The vehicle will also include traditional car features, everything from a stereo to GPS. Leather padding on the interior will make the ride more comfortable, and storage for groceries and other things will be available in front and back.
The engineering students鈥攚ho also include Alexander Richardson, of Barrington, and Jeric Rodriguez, of North Kingstown鈥攅xpect to meet next month with officials from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to make sure the vehicle meets state and federal safety regulations.
鈥淭hree-wheeled vehicles have been on the road for a long time,鈥欌�� says Howes. 鈥淲hat makes our vehicle unique is that the driver gets to stand. This is what we need to discuss with DOT.鈥欌��
The vehicle is perfect for urban dwellers, says Qualben. It鈥檚 easy to park, inexpensive to maintain and suitable for people with a short commute to work.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait until the prototype is completed,鈥欌�� says Qualben, the team鈥檚 leader. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fulfilling to think that we鈥檙e at the forefront of the future of transportation, not only in Rhode Island but the world.鈥欌��
Howes is grateful for the College of Engineering鈥檚 support: 鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 for them, I wouldn鈥檛 be able to see my dream come true.鈥欌�� He has more proposals that he hopes to share, once Strike 3000 is finished.
鈥淚 have this hot dog bun idea,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淚t has a lot of potential.鈥欌��
On Nov. 8, voters in Rhode Island will be asked to approve Question 4 on the ballot. If passed, the investment will pave the way to attract businesses and create the high-paying, high-skilled jobs Rhode Island needs by authorizing $45.5 million in bonds to expand 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 highly successful College of Engineering ($25.5 million) and create a 溏心vlog免费B站-affiliated innovation campus program ($20 million) that will pair cutting edge research with private sector investments to create the jobs of the future.