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Industrial, Mechanical & Biomedical Design

Reach for the Sky

Reach for the Sky is a three-year outreach math and science program funded by the Toyota USA Foundation, Institute of Technology at the University of Minnesota, NASA and 4-H. We would travel to the White Earth Reservation to teach hands-on physics and engineering projects to Reservation high school youth at the Circle of Life School. I designed a human powered three wheeled vehicle based on a $50 bicycles we bought at Target. We cut the frame apart to utilize the rear half of the bike for the drive assembly, the steering head, handle bars, and brakes were also used. A front axel was fabricated, as well as connector blocks. These blocks allowed frames of various size and configurations, to be bolted together using square perforated tubing. Components were packaged into boxes to create human powered vehicle kits, the students worked in teams to assemble their vehicles. After completion, a competition was held on a road course testing both design and durability.

I can say, that working with these kids was one of the most rewarding things I have done in my professional career.