Pedal Point concept offers a green commute on rails

Desh Raj SharmaMar 6 2010

For fitness-minded individuals, Californian designer Joseph Fung conjures up an innovative biking concept that mixes railroad commute and calisthenics. Dubbed as Pedal Point, the system exploits riders’ pedaling effort to create electricity that keeps the railcar moving and, in the process, the riders can earn points. More riders on board means more points earned that can be cashed in for discounted fares, or at local coffee houses or bike shops.

pedal point

Combines human-power with renewable energy:

pedal point 4

Since riders are supposed to bike to local stations and to their workplaces, the calisthenics aspect is duly answered. If bikers are not there, the chassis are charged with solar power, wind power, or the grid itself. A clear vinyl fairing keeps strong wind off the riders as the chassis move faster than a bicycle. Use of standard 4’ 8.5” gauge rail as Pedal Point chassis requires no erection of new tracks.

Protection against theft:

pedal point 3

Joseph proposes to store chassis vertically. Special locks ask for riders’ coded RFID tags to ensure protection against theft. The RFID tags contain all information about the user, his daily commute route and the borrowed chassis. Moreover, a dedicated website offers registration, trip planning, billing, and a network service.

pedal point 2

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