In a message dated 12/1/03 9:07:10 AM Pacific Standard Time, Ray.Keefer@Sun.COM writes:
A friend of mine emailed me this article, have a read and see what you and the rest of the PSUBers think.
www.bluespace.ru/vehicle
Although my mechanical engineering focus was alternative energy use (including human power) and having been an amateur racing cyclist and HPV pilot in my younger years (reaching for my cane and bottle of Geritol), the thought of pedaling for all or part of the 4-hour projected duration simply doesn't appeal to me. Having been immersed in rebreather sites for the last couple weeks of research, I can't help but wonder how the design group can guarantee 4 hours of operation under potentially moderate physical exertion with what looks like a single scuba tank per occupant. The site didn't say (or I missed it) whether it was ambient or 1-atm but the projected 4-hr duration leads me to believe that it's 1-atm. Likewise, the survey/questionaire mentioned electric or "combined" drives but no details otherwise ... much more appealing.
On a more positive note, I love seeing designs which deviate from standard or traditional ideologies and aesthetics ... brain food. Thanks for the link!
Shawn