I'm writing this blog to show and share with everyone some ideas that I realized on the past.
Unfortunately I don't have pictures of all these "projects" to show, so I'll post just the ones that I have some pictures.
I'm still having some other ideas to do other stuff...but no longer the same free time that I use to have.
Hope you like it...
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
2000 - The scooter idea
I had 14 years old...
As any teenager when you see something and you think: "that is really cool" next you wish somehow have a chance to try and have one. That was what happened with me...
I already had seen before on TV, but on that day I saw one pass by. At the same moment I told to myself and after to my parents that I wanted one for me.
As I realized later, most of the times we just give value to things when we have to "fight" for get it...I'm not saying that I didn't deserve it, but it was a matter of education gave from my parents that I didn't like at the time.As we grow up life changes as well the way that we see things. Nowadays I really appreciate and I understand purpose for that.
I could tried wait for my birthday or Christmas to beg for one, but it wasn't guarantee that my parents would give me one because it was kind of innovation at the time, and usually innovations are expensive. Also my birthday and Christmas were far way, so I decided to make one:
With the small budget from my savings I bought an old motor from a motorcycle like this one:
I decided for this one because my father had one Puch (this motorcycle model) and I new that had a really good fuel consumption and enough power to have fun (40km/h).
I sought for this kind of engine and I bought an old one for €25. So with the main part (motor) already in my possession I started thinking on the shape and buying the other parts that I couldn't make.
I think with any prototype, doesn't matter who creates it...will have problems that have to pass through. I had those kind problems because I didn't have any professional experience (even with professional experience there are always new problems that people doesn't expect).
My abilities were limited with my 14 years old of age, but I got some extra "experience" just watching and asking older people with experience on the field (bicycles, motorcycles, mechanical...) why they did that on that way and no in other different way...and I started learning with others experience's.
With access to my Father's Factory that he already sold "Julio Ramalho S.A." I had access to welding machines and steel to model the frame and finish my so wanted scooter:
The following two pictures show the final result of my scooter:
Its a average quality cellphone video (2012) :
After 10 years of use it's still working good!
As any teenager when you see something and you think: "that is really cool" next you wish somehow have a chance to try and have one. That was what happened with me...
I already had seen before on TV, but on that day I saw one pass by. At the same moment I told to myself and after to my parents that I wanted one for me.
As I realized later, most of the times we just give value to things when we have to "fight" for get it...I'm not saying that I didn't deserve it, but it was a matter of education gave from my parents that I didn't like at the time.As we grow up life changes as well the way that we see things. Nowadays I really appreciate and I understand purpose for that.
I could tried wait for my birthday or Christmas to beg for one, but it wasn't guarantee that my parents would give me one because it was kind of innovation at the time, and usually innovations are expensive. Also my birthday and Christmas were far way, so I decided to make one:
- The Process:
With the small budget from my savings I bought an old motor from a motorcycle like this one:
I decided for this one because my father had one Puch (this motorcycle model) and I new that had a really good fuel consumption and enough power to have fun (40km/h).
I sought for this kind of engine and I bought an old one for €25. So with the main part (motor) already in my possession I started thinking on the shape and buying the other parts that I couldn't make.
I think with any prototype, doesn't matter who creates it...will have problems that have to pass through. I had those kind problems because I didn't have any professional experience (even with professional experience there are always new problems that people doesn't expect).
My abilities were limited with my 14 years old of age, but I got some extra "experience" just watching and asking older people with experience on the field (bicycles, motorcycles, mechanical...) why they did that on that way and no in other different way...and I started learning with others experience's.
With access to my Father's Factory that he already sold "Julio Ramalho S.A." I had access to welding machines and steel to model the frame and finish my so wanted scooter:
The following two pictures show the final result of my scooter:
Its a average quality cellphone video (2012) :
After 10 years of use it's still working good!
2007 - Electric roller blades
Between 2000-2007 I did some other stuff that unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share with every one.
I was already doing my Mechanical Engineering degree at University of Coimbra when I decided to realize other idea:
"Electric Roller blades"
As you can see the concept it's not very common.
If you look at the first sight there are a lot of things that seem to be really easy to do, but when you start thinking how to apply it, how to develop with fabrication and budget limitations you need to have creativity to have a good result.
When I started to comment this idea with people just a few believed me. Some start laughing about the concept (like its cool but its too much for you to do it by yourself), some said "I don't think that is going to work", others "I just believe when I see it"...just a few believe that I would do it.
The important thing it's when we believe in ourselves and we don't give up. So I forgot all those things that I heard and started develop my idea with lot of hypothesis that took days and days of drawings in SolidWorks.
For example how to apply a Hub with 3 gears from a bicycle into this roller blades:
Its inside the rear wheel of the right foot.
This project were full of "challenges" that I had to fight and find the respective solutions always according with the budget and fabrication limitations that I had.
I'm not writing this blog as a text book explaining all details.The aim is to be illustrative, show and share the main concept and prove when we believe in ourselves we can do it...
This is the kind of Hydro bag that I bought and did some modifications adding the belt with my Grandmother's help to weave things back after all modifications that I had to do.
Regular Model.
Modified Model.
Inside of this bag there is the following a pair of batteries and other controls:
2 Batteries 12V 7Ah each.
The complete equipment.
The next pictures show the hand control which allows to control the acceleration, brake and honk (red button):
I didn't want to have in one hand the break lever and on the other the acceleration control.
I gather the two functions by doing some modifications and I also added the horn button to fill the hole left by the modifications.
Again it seems to be really easy to do a control like this when you see the final result, but believe it took me 2 days to check the options and solutions and assembly like this:
The two following pictures shows the application of the gear lever and the charger INPUT on the belt. Also you will be able to see the light (LED) which shows the batteries level.
Finally some detailed pictures of the shoes.
Just to clarify if you are wondering about just one shoe has the power and the break. A lot of people during the development asked the same question and again a lot didn't believe that would work. But I assure that works really GOOD!
Unfortunately I don't have any video of this project to prove that. So I'll update this post next time with a video.
Solid Works assembly picture.
Left shoe.
Right shoe, right view.
Right shoe, left view.
Right shoe, back view.
Right shoe, transmission detail.
This last picture shows the solution that I found to build the pulley:
Solid Works Pulley explode view
I was already doing my Mechanical Engineering degree at University of Coimbra when I decided to realize other idea:
"Electric Roller blades"
As you can see the concept it's not very common.
If you look at the first sight there are a lot of things that seem to be really easy to do, but when you start thinking how to apply it, how to develop with fabrication and budget limitations you need to have creativity to have a good result.
When I started to comment this idea with people just a few believed me. Some start laughing about the concept (like its cool but its too much for you to do it by yourself), some said "I don't think that is going to work", others "I just believe when I see it"...just a few believe that I would do it.
The important thing it's when we believe in ourselves and we don't give up. So I forgot all those things that I heard and started develop my idea with lot of hypothesis that took days and days of drawings in SolidWorks.
For example how to apply a Hub with 3 gears from a bicycle into this roller blades:
Its inside the rear wheel of the right foot.
This project were full of "challenges" that I had to fight and find the respective solutions always according with the budget and fabrication limitations that I had.
I'm not writing this blog as a text book explaining all details.The aim is to be illustrative, show and share the main concept and prove when we believe in ourselves we can do it...
This is the kind of Hydro bag that I bought and did some modifications adding the belt with my Grandmother's help to weave things back after all modifications that I had to do.
Regular Model.
Modified Model.
Inside of this bag there is the following a pair of batteries and other controls:
2 Batteries 12V 7Ah each.
The complete equipment.
The next pictures show the hand control which allows to control the acceleration, brake and honk (red button):
- Original lever for the hydraulic brake:
- This picture shows the original hand control that I bought which allows just to control the acceleration:
I didn't want to have in one hand the break lever and on the other the acceleration control.
I gather the two functions by doing some modifications and I also added the horn button to fill the hole left by the modifications.
Again it seems to be really easy to do a control like this when you see the final result, but believe it took me 2 days to check the options and solutions and assembly like this:
The two following pictures shows the application of the gear lever and the charger INPUT on the belt. Also you will be able to see the light (LED) which shows the batteries level.
Finally some detailed pictures of the shoes.
Just to clarify if you are wondering about just one shoe has the power and the break. A lot of people during the development asked the same question and again a lot didn't believe that would work. But I assure that works really GOOD!
Unfortunately I don't have any video of this project to prove that. So I'll update this post next time with a video.
Solid Works assembly picture.
Left shoe.
Right shoe, right view.
Right shoe, left view.
Right shoe, back view.
Right shoe, transmission detail.
This last picture shows the solution that I found to build the pulley:
Solid Works Pulley explode view
2008 - Boat extra features
2008 - It was my investment year...a boat to go for a ride on the ocean and do spearfishing when the ocean allows to do it.
I bought this one that you can see on the picture below:
As you can see it's just a simple boat nothing like a yacht...
but it does the main role...floats on the water!
Actually boats like these one are also used to support big yachts owners when they need agility like get in shallow waters or access land easier.
I guess it's "almost" the same of a spare tire in a car trunk:
My investment budget was possible just for the "Spare tire"...so I decided to do some improvements on it:
Multifunction box: Seat; Radio; Storage.
Red: Speakers
Blue: 2 x 12V Batteries
Green: Radio
Also It has two separated divisions:
- Front: for the ropes and anchor
- Back: for the life jacket; extinguisher; first aid...and other stuff
The following pictures show the final results of the Box designed first on Solid Works:
Assembling all the pieces together
Inside of the orange "circle" you can see the Horn button:
Traffic jam can also occurs on the water!
The Box on the boat with a lot of spearfishing stuff arround because we were three on this day doing spearfishing.
I also decided to install a triple 12V plug to charge cellphones or GPS. The switch buttons on the left are the batteries input. When one goes down you switch to the other one and recharge later at home when you get back.
I bought this one that you can see on the picture below:
As you can see it's just a simple boat nothing like a yacht...
but it does the main role...floats on the water!
Actually boats like these one are also used to support big yachts owners when they need agility like get in shallow waters or access land easier.
I guess it's "almost" the same of a spare tire in a car trunk:
My investment budget was possible just for the "Spare tire"...so I decided to do some improvements on it:
Multifunction box: Seat; Radio; Storage.
Red: Speakers
Blue: 2 x 12V Batteries
Green: Radio
Also It has two separated divisions:
- Front: for the ropes and anchor
- Back: for the life jacket; extinguisher; first aid...and other stuff
The following pictures show the final results of the Box designed first on Solid Works:
Assembling all the pieces together
Inside of the orange "circle" you can see the Horn button:
Traffic jam can also occurs on the water!
The Box on the boat with a lot of spearfishing stuff arround because we were three on this day doing spearfishing.
I also decided to install a triple 12V plug to charge cellphones or GPS. The switch buttons on the left are the batteries input. When one goes down you switch to the other one and recharge later at home when you get back.
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