The Gamera project is a design endeavor being carried out by students at the Clark School of Engineering and faculty at the Department of Aerospace Engineering. It is inspired by the American Helicopter Society's Sikorsky Prize, which was established in 1980 but has yet to see a recipient.
The purpose of the project was to create a human-powered aircraft. The initial flights managed to pull off a 4.2 second U.S. national record. Even though they managed to break a few records, the team isn't satisfied and they aim for longer flights this summer.
The helicopter is powered by both hand and foot pedalling (although the amount of muscle-power required to get it off the air is a little more than the casual cyclist is probably used to).
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Human-powered Aircraft
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop lightweight and efficient human-powered aircraft for various applications.
- Sustainable Transportation
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create eco-friendly transportation alternatives powered by human energy.
- Record-breaking Flights
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Push the boundaries of human-powered flight to achieve longer and more impressive records.
Sectors Adopting This
- Aerospace Engineering
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Rethink aircraft design and propulsion systems to incorporate human energy as a viable power source.
- Sports and Recreational Equipment
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Engineer advanced human-powered vehicles and equipment for sports and leisure activities.
- Green Technology
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for transportation and other industries.
