Mike Griffith’s research for his “human powered utility vehicle” included consultation with Jason Moore, a graduate student in mechanical and aeronautical engineering who is pursuing his doctorate in bicycle dynamics, control and handling qualities.

Moore is no stranger to pedal power and campus sustainability grants. He was part of a team that received a 2007 grant for the Pedal Powered Charging Table — something you can see and use in the Memorial Union.

The Pedal Powered Charging Table is a stationary bicycle with a platform for your laptop — and an electrical generator connected to the bicycle’s crank set. Simply plug in your laptop to the outlet on the platform, start pedaling — and, voila, your computer powers up.

Griffith, who wrote the grant application with Moore, noted his collaborator’s interest “in how human power can solve many problems in the world.” For example, he has worked on the introduction of bicycle ambulances in Zambia and on pedal powered agricultural machine designs in Guatemala.

Moore was active with the Davis Bike Church, a repair cooperative, for several years. Today, he is studying bicycle technology in the Netherlands on a Fulbright grant.

On the Net

The Pedal Powered Charging Table: youtube.com/watch?v=KB3NkahC8DQ

HUMAN POWER: ‘Wheel’ potential for this sustainability initiative