‘Innovate or Die Pedal-Powered Machine Contest’ winner announced

Jan 17, 2008
by Tyler Maine  
In a matter of three months, contestants poured in from across the globe, ranging from one-time inventors to students at prestigious universities like MIT. Of the more than 100 qualified entries, ”Aquaduct: Mobile Filtration Vehicle” won based on environmental impact, creativity and design.

Rich Silverstein, founding partner at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, was impressed. “It’s up to the next generation to solve the mess we find ourselves in today,” said Silverstein. “The success of the ‘Innovate or Die’ competition gives me confidence that they have the imagination and creativity to succeed.”

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“Aquaduct” was the brainchild of five California-based design students who wanted to address the 1.1 billion people in the world who don’t have access to clean drinking water. The pedal-powered machine successfully transports and filters water without burning fossil fuels or wood, both of which contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions. To see the winner and five runners-up, go to www.innovate-or-die.com.

All winners and runners-up will receive Specialized Globe bicycles, Specialized's premier vehicle for change, perfect for getting any rider from point A to point B in style. Specialized and Google have already partnered to equip Google's main Mountain View campus with 350 Globes. “We will continue partnering with businesses, non-profits and city governments to implement bike-share programs with the like-minded goal of decreasing CO2 emissions,” said Specialized Founder and President Mike Sinyard. “Let’s all get out of our cars and onto bikes.”

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"The diversity, creativity and potential impact of the proposals was impressive," said Dan Reicher, Director of Climate and Energy Initiatives for Google.org and former US Assistant Secretary of Energy. "I was interested to see if bicycle powered technologies could help address global problems like climate change and water pollution. These proposals convinced me that human brainpower can harness muscle power to help solve some of our biggest environmental challenges."

Specialized Bicycles, founded in Morgan Hill, CA in 1974, is a company filled with passionate cyclists who lead the industry with innovative bikes for all types of riding. Specialized is committed to global cycling advocacy and environmental consciousness, including programs like its annual Bike-to-Work Day Challenge, Recycle-a-Tire Project (over four tons of bicycle tires recycled to date) and Specialized Employee Commute Club, which has offset more than 23 tons of CO2 emissions since 2006.

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57 Comments
  • 6 0
 it needs "no air" tires... cause in these countries where they need it... it's a reason to see the bike lying on the side and coveres of rust...it have to be as simple as possible... but the idea is wonderfull...
  • 8 2
 im not being rude, its a good idear but how are people in ledc going to be able to afford this?
  • 3 2
 Presumably the bike will be something aid organisations, such as world vision and make poverty history, will be able to offer those communities in need. Buying the bike with the money the organisations receive through sponsorship and donations.
  • 10 0
 I'll have a 99 with a flake and a Feast please...
  • 1 0
 how many people in africa can even ride bike yet afford one?
  • 2 2
 who needs balance to ride a bike with three wheels man?
If i could ride a bike when i was three anyone can ride a three wheeler LMAO
  • 1 1
 um okay then
  • 0 0
 its probably not their intent that every person or every family would have one. sponsorship/donations would supply, say, one to every community or village or school or whatever. cool.
  • 1 0
 The kids who have to do this will actaully have fun too. because their using a toy they dont have and their helping their family
  • 2 0
 To all you with the negative and cynical comments! Just give some thought to the fact that if even a quarter of emissions could be cut, that in itself is huge. Things never get accomplished by people who don't think its possible but by those who do. So after you who think you are so dope with comments about downhill winnings, filling it with beer and Red Bull, why don't you make yourselfs smarter than your comments and think of something that could conquer your doubts. OUT!
  • 5 0
 An amazing and life saving technology, involving our favorite pass time Smile !
  • 3 1
 Have a look at the Chris King website. Read up on his environmental practices. There are dirty ways of making a bike, ie: Dumping waste, There are also better ways such as reusing leftover materials, using natural light. There a endless ways to make a process more energy, environmental efficient.
  • 1 0
 yes! the metal they have left over is re-cycled.
  • 2 0
 Trees do not recycle TONs of emissions from Airplanes and millions of cars... And trees don't pick up plastic bags on the streets as well. And they don't flick off your bulbs at home. And they don't use the Dryer machine everyday to dry only 3 or 4 clothes (i use my dryer, but fully loaded that i can barely close the lid)

'Tis NOT a shit/myth
  • 2 1
 Nice idea but they haven't really thought about it. It will be expensive to manufacture, which many of the aid organisations could spend on better things. People in remote and poor countries with a poor education and no knowledge will not be able to repair it if anything goes wrong with the pump of filter. The main thing, it will be close to if not more than the price of a sealed tube well which would benefit an entire village. This benefits just one family, so wasteful and pointless. Money will be better spend on more appropriate technology such as improved water supplies in the first place. Or water carrying panniers that can be added cheaply to their existing bicycles. Think you mongs.
  • 2 0
 yep... would be way better a kind of trailer you can attach do ANY kind of bike, way cheaper and they already know how to maintain there bikes. A trailer don't require any maintenance but changing flats...
  • 2 1
 That's actually really cool and seems a worthy winner. And of course individuals in poor countries wouldn't have to buy this themselves, it would either be bought by governments for their people or donated by humanitarian organizations.
  • 5 4
 I'm not trying to be negative about this as it's an awesome idea that could really benefit people.... but as everyone seems to be jumping on the green bandwagon riddle me this... what about the harmful emissions from the factory who make the bike and it's components? Dont tell me they're carbon neutral or emission free.

Same with Specialized... they ccan talk all day about the environemt but how much damage do their factories do when producing all their stuff?

For me that negates a lot of the "bikes are green" argument.

Sorry, I'm just a natrual cynic.
  • 3 0
 It is true that the production of bikes isn't "green" in any way shape or form. However, history dictates that over the lifespan of a bike (which can be anywhere from a year to decades) the bike itself producing 0 emissions while in use is the cleanest source of mobility today.

That bike may not solve many environmental issues, but it will solve a tonne of poverty issues like the obtaining and storage of clean water.
  • 1 0
 so you have all the harmfull emissions from making a 4000 pound car, that then requires fossil fuel to run vs. the emissions to make a 40 pound bike that then requires no fuel, ever? How is that not different?
  • 0 9
flag mikestp (Jan 17, 2008 at 23:11) (Below Threshold)
 i think caring for the poor n all thats a good idea... but seriously who gives a shit about the environment. there is no such thing as global warming r the greenhouse effect... they were invented by toyota so they could sell us the prius. the fact is we couldn't destroy the environment if we tried.
  • 0 0
 you guys are really bullshitting yourselves if you think bikes aren't green. Most Bike companies have only one production plant, unless they are big like trek or spesh. however, bikes are tons greener than say cars or even motorcycles or dirtbikes, straight from the factory.
  • 1 0
 mikestp, the green house effect keeps us wrm you tube if it didn't exist then our nipples would be frozen off
  • 0 0
 what i meant is that the whole idea of co2 emisions n shit making it worse and icecaps melting because of it is bullshit
  • 1 0
 i agree with citizenlee when i see steel mil in china (were specialized bikes are made they spill tons of suffur dioxid in the atmosphere not to say about the residu they throw in the tianjin river this river is far more polluted than the india river its pitch black ) so when specialized will talk again about being green what about bringing back the work force in the USa in a green manufacture i know for me when i make bike all left over are completly recycle
keep you area green cycle to work
  • 1 0
 When I first read about the contest I assumed that many of the entries would be energy based. That is the generation of electricity by pedaling and then powering something. These guys were thinking out of the box for sure, and the good implementation, design, and useful end result clearly makes them the winner.
  • 1 0
 Yep, One more who just cannot admitt what humanity's gree is doing.
all that greed for more horsepower, mor ggets, more of this & more of that just destroys our world and tortures all living creatures, that just happens to have the same rights as we do.
wake up mate, this kind of thinkig (ifwe can call it thinking) is leading us to destruction...
  • 7 2
 put beer in it :d
  • 4 0
 REALLY good idea!!! Props to that!
  • 0 0
 The problem with cynics is they can't add. Sure, making a bike is not a Zero-Carbon impact process, but the total carbon impact of this product, over it's useful life, including it's production, would be less than, say, the production and operation of a motorcycle to transport water, and the buring of fuels to boil and sterilize the water. Duh people....
  • 0 0
 Spot on!
Yes making the bike spits out a certain amount of pollution per bike, but the bike puts out 0 emmitions once it's built.
Campare that to a car or even a motorbike plant. Tons more pollution per vehicle to produce, then the vehicles themselves produce carbon.
So overall the "carbon footprint" of bikes is a LOT smaller.
This thing is a great invention and if the manufacturers chose to produce this bike as not for profit, it could make a huge differance to the lives of millions of people.
  • 1 0
 that's just simply awsome, Wonder how long the filter lasts on that thing ?.. adn wwhat kind of bacteria and whatnot it filtwers out.. ?
  • 1 2
 Its the best idea ive ever seen. It helps everyone in everyway, in those countries. But, I think global warming and all that shit is all a myth to scare people. Sure there are C0 2 emissions and all, but trees recycle that shit, and make the air clean again. Like I said, its all bull shit.
  • 2 0
 Trees do not recycle TONs of emissions from Airplanes and millions of cars... And trees don't pick up plastic bags on the streets as well. And they don't flick off your bulbs at home. And they don't use the Dryer machine everyday to dry only 3 or 4 clothes (i use my dryer, but fully loaded that i can barely close the lid)

'Tis NOT a shit/myth
  • 0 0
 It might be expensive to start with but the more made the cheaper they get, a factor of production, i'll back, i would give money to wards it, GO FOR GUYS but give some spares as well
  • 0 1
 one, jocool, I assume you are just trying to get a rise out of people by being intentionally dense. If not, then I am sure you are much more knowledgeable than a vast majority of climatologists out there.(those are people who study the climate, in case big words are scary to you)
And this bike is an idea, thats it.
The actual product will be refined many times over to address any and all issues we could think of before this would ever reach mass production. I say props for he effort and the idea and and to specialized for making the contest. At least they are trying if nothing else.
  • 2 0
 Does the filter need replacing ona regular basis?
  • 1 0
 Presumably they are using a sawyer filter, that works like a kidney dialysis filter and is good for something like 10,000 gallons
  • 0 0
 THe people wont have to pay for it. people will donate money for this company to build them then they will be donated to the people that need them>
  • 1 1
 i think you only can kill bacteria in water by boiling it or using chemicals
  • 0 0
 no - u can use filter to get rid of bacteria, but chemicals (or boiling) are necessary to kill viruses that may be present in the water
  • 0 0
 I think its an awesome idea!! But now its just getting it to the mass population in need.. Hopefully it all works out!
  • 0 0
 looks very expensive to produce, good concept but it's over complicated and couldnt be issued in any real numbers
  • 0 0
 wut about the filters? don't they have to replacement them once a while?
  • 0 0
 this is a great idea and is definatley the definition of inovate or die
  • 0 0
 Great idea! Keep at it!
  • 1 3
 hey guyz, my grandad would like his trike back.
  • 0 0
 knew they wouldn't like that one, but it's true.
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