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Almost any pedal device, getting a fresh rider every 30 seconds who  
wants to sprint, is a maintenance load.  If you have a choice, make it  
hand driven.  The best solution in a situation like this where you do  
want a good deal of power from the visitor is to turn a bike frame  
upside down, cut off the front end of it and use the pedal crank  with  
modified pedals that have easily gripped rubber balls instead of the  
pedals.  It's one of those nice touches in exhibits to leave the  
bicycle recognizable as having been a bicycle; leave the seat on.
here's a photo of the Color Storm device in my Color Play exhibit.
  http://www.scienceinteractives.com/ex_color_c_storm.html
The reason the pedals get modified to rubber balls is because once in a  
while there are two kids, one on each side, and you don't want the one  
kid to whap the other with something that protrudes.  The hardest part  
of this is enclosing the chain in plexi.  Color storm should give you a  
idea of the strategy of that plexi enclosure.  Each crank arm has a  
circular disk of plexi screwed to the crank arm's side so there is no  
place fro any body parts to get caught.

Clifford Wagner

On Oct 18, 2005, at 8:02 PM, Eric Yuan wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> *********************************************************************** 
> ******
>
> Hello,
>
>
>
> For those of you with pedal generators, has anyone adapted them to use  
> both
> hands and feet?
>
>
>
> -Eric
>
>
>
> The Tech Museum
>
> Exhibit Developer
>
>
>
>
>
>   _____
>
> From: William Katzman [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2005 11:05 AM
> To: webhead; ISEN-ASTC-L
> Subject: motors
>
>
>
> Hello everyone!
> We are looking to re-create a hand-cranked electrical generator for an
> exhibit.  So what I'm looking for is a 12 Volt motor that people have  
> used
> successfully on the floor as an electrical generator.  So if anyone out
> there uses a standard motor as a generator, I would love to know the  
> model
> and make of it (if it's successful).  And if you have a warning of  
> which
> motors to stay away from then let me know that as well.  Thanks!
>
>
> The specifics on our project:  essentially we have one 12 Volt motor  
> (that
> is no longer made) that generates electricity for a 12 Volt light, a  
> 12 Volt
> T.V.. and a 12 Volt fan.  We want to couple this with another 12 Volt  
> motor
> (in parallel) so that two people can combine their work and we'll  
> include a
> couple more options on what to power.
>
> -William
>
>
>
> William Katzman                 [log in to unmask]
> Director of Exhibits                    (828) 322-8169 x307
> Catawba Science Center          (828) 322-1585 (fax)
> "Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of  
> value"
> -A. Einstein
>
>
>
>
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