I was inspired by bumping cars in amusement parks
Trivandrum Global City of Innovation’s (TGCi), a charitable trust of Kanthari International, latest innovation project is a solar-powered bumper boat.
“We tested the product for two years at TGCi. I am not interested in a commercial roll-out of the product but if anyone places a request we will make it for them on a minimum order of 10 solar bumper boats at a cost of Rs 1 lakh each,” said TGCi technical director Shyam Kumar S.
The project conceptualized at Kanthari International campus in Thiruvananthapuram, was funded by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE). The boat was assembled at the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram.
The boat is 6 ft in diameter and 2 ft high. It has a D-shaped rubber fender for cushioning effect. The solar panel mounted on the boat supplies energy to run a 250 watt DC motor to propel the boat. It can last up to 15 years and also acts as a sunshade. The boat is manoeuvred with the help of a rudder and a switch.
“The boat does not have a throttle or variable speed, so the passenger has to turn off the switch just before bumping in to the other boat. The handle can manoeuvre the boat 45 degrees to the right and left and the motor propels it to 10 km per hour on water. I was inspired by bumping cars in amusement parks and wanted to create a zero-pollution boat which can be as much fun,” said Kumar.
Read more . . .
Bookmark this page for “bumper boat” and check back regularly as these articles update on a very frequent basis. The view is set to “news”. Try clicking on “video” and “2” for more articles.
