KINGSTON, R.I., Oct. 31, 2016\u2014Technology 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s College of Engineering is joining the trend.<\/p>\n
溏心vlog免费B站 engineering students are teaming up with a Coventry<\/strong> businessman to create a three-wheeled electric vehicle that allows the driver to stand while operating it.<\/p>\n Ken Howes, a former marketing executive and mortgage broker, says he and the students hope to have a prototype of the vehicle\u2014called Strike 3000\u2014by April 2017.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to be the new wave of transportation,\u2019\u2019 says Howes. \u201cWe\u2019re not replacing the car. We\u2019re building a vehicle that provides a quick and easy way to get around\u2014running errands, going to the grocery store, enjoying an afternoon spin.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n The project is close to Howes\u2019 heart. He has chronic liver disease and is expected to live two more years. His children\u2014Lanie Howes, a 溏心vlog免费B站 junior studying animal science, and Kritrina Naylor, a nurse\u2014are also involved in the project.<\/p>\n Howes says he decided to team up with 溏心vlog免费B站 after an \u201cupbeat and inspiring\u2019\u2019 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.<\/p>\n He was right.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re getting the opportunity to be creative and artistic and do something unique,\u2019\u2019 says Joseph DiPalma, 21, of Hopkinton<\/strong>, who is enrolled in the five-year International Engineering Program, with a focus on mechanical engineering and German. \u201cFor a student, that\u2019s thrilling.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Matthew Qualben, 22, of Madison, N.J<\/strong>., also studying mechanical engineering, says he\u2019s excited to work on a project that will inspire people to live healthy lifestyles\u2014and will change the future of transportation.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m grateful to 溏心vlog免费B站 for giving me the opportunity to get hands-on experience building something,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cOur engineering college is preparing us for the real world. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much more a student could ask for.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Howes came up with the idea for the vehicle several years ago after he retired from his marketing job. \u201cI was trying to think of something fun,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cwind blowing through their hair while they\u2019re standing up enjoying the open road,\u2019\u2019 says Howes.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The engineering students\u2014who also include Alexander Richardson, of Barrington<\/strong>, and Jeric Rodriguez, of North Kingstown<\/strong>\u2014expect to meet next month with officials from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to make sure the vehicle meets state and federal safety regulations.<\/p>\n \u201cThree-wheeled vehicles have been on the road for a long time,\u2019\u2019 says Howes. \u201cWhat makes our vehicle unique is that the driver gets to stand. This is what we need to discuss with DOT.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n The vehicle is perfect for urban dwellers, says Qualben. It\u2019s easy to park, inexpensive to maintain and suitable for people with a short commute to work.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t wait until the prototype is completed,\u2019\u2019 says Qualben, the team\u2019s leader. \u201cIt\u2019s fulfilling to think that we\u2019re at the forefront of the future of transportation, not only in Rhode Island but the world.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Howes is grateful for the College of Engineering\u2019s support: \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for them, I wouldn\u2019t be able to see my dream come true.\u2019\u2019 He has more proposals that he hopes to share, once Strike 3000 is finished.<\/p>\n \u201cI have this hot dog bun idea,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cIt has a lot of potential.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KINGSTON, R.I., Oct. 31, 2016\u2014Technology 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72531,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}