ItB次元官网网址檚 not a bike, itB次元官网网址檚 not a benchB次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 all that and an art installation!
The Urban Spinning Bench (USB for short) was installed in Cook Street Village and unveiled on Dec. 1.
B次元官网网址淚 want people to be intrigued by this piece and be inspired to imagine what a sustainable future could be like,B次元官网网址� mechanical designer Erica Mak said.
The USB has two sets of pedals hooked up to generators. The faster someone pedals, the more electricity generated. People can charge their phones or a light tube, although how fast it will charge your phone depends on the model and how many apps are open on the device.
In collaboration with her initiative Renewable Energy Art Program (REAP), Cascadia Architect and Integral Group, Mak said the pilot project is the first of its kind in Victoria, and she hopes to add more to other neighbourhoods. The design incorporates renewable energy technology to promote small-scale alternative energy and healthy living.
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B次元官网网址淲ith the two pedal sets you can compete with a friend or a new friend, a neighbour and see if you can pedal fast enough to light up all the lights on the tube,B次元官网网址� Mak said.
In five minutes, Mak was able to give her phone a three per cent boost.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a human-powered charger, so it definitely takes a bit longer,B次元官网网址� she said with a chuckle.
The City of Victoria gave the USB project $4,000 as part of the My Great Neighbourhood Grant Program in 2017, and the project proposal was also sponsored by the Cook Street Village Business Association.
B次元官网网址淲hen people think about renewable energy, itB次元官网网址檚 sometimes daunting and almost not feasible to build themselves, but if we can make it look fun and beautiful and completely feasible, IB次元官网网址檓 hoping it will spark some dialogue about sustainable living and really inspire people to look into alternative energy solutions,B次元官网网址� Mak said.
The USB can be found at the Oxford and Cook Street intersection.
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@KeiliBartlett
keili.bartlett@blackpress.ca
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