Maker Faire Bay Area 2008
Alternative "Mutant" Vehicles

Three vehicles built for fun and to illustrate structural engineering and alternative energy usage (electric and solar vs. gas), and have been "mutant" vehicles at Burning Man. The Solar Trike is a 3-wheeled personal vehicle that appeared in the 2007 Bay Area Maker Faire, Hourglass is an electric powered structure, stands 16' tall and has a 16 x 16 x16 triangular footprint. Driver-operated from mid level. Shaped like an hour glass out of metal conduit tubing. Skychair is pyramidic in shape, has a suspended canvas sling chair, is electric powered and also built from metal tubing conduits.

Web site: http://www.mygreatproject.com/

Project photo.

Topic(s): Engineering

Tags: chair, solar, alternative energy

About the Maker(s)

Jerrold Karmin [
I am a tug boat captain and sail instructor who has long been involved in creating unusual vehicles for fun and profit, from the sail powered go-cart I built in Long Island as a teenager, to my latest projects of creating a viable solar and/or electric powered personal vehicle. Many people in the area have seen me as I travel around on the Solar Trike, which is street legal, powered by batteries, charged by solar panels, and can also double as an electric power plant / generator with a 3 KW inverter. I have also explored a prototype of an electric boat with my father, who has built boats for many years.

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