Large tricycle at night lit up with LEDs and a large colourful canopy

Daisy the Solar Powered Tricycle

Daisy the Solar Powered tricycle carries a group of people through the desert

Daisy the Solar Powered Tricycle is an electric vehicle that was built in 2004 by inventor, fabricator, and Professor Bob Schneeveis. The project was designed to drive passengers around using exclusively solar power. At its maximum capacity, Daisy can carry four adults in its carriage plus a driver in the front. This 15ft tall art piece is the world’s largest solar powered tricycle.

In 2007 Daisy was acquired by one of eatART’s founders, Rob Cunningham and served as inspiration for the creation of the eatART foundation. Today, Daisy resides in Vancouver and is maintained by gBikes with support of eatART. As part of Daisy’s improvements, eatART collaborated with UBC Capstone Project in 2018 to improve Daisy’s drive train. Read the work they did here.

Check out the Facebook Page.

A group of people riding a vehicle that has four bike wheels. A banner attached to the bike reads "Black Ghost"

Black Ghost Electric Bike Car

Peddle powered vehicle that is the size of a car

The Black Ghost Electric Bike Car is a mobile, highly interactive art piece which tightens the loop of electricity production and consumption. The project is lead by Curtis Perrin and built by Spencer Treffry, Sam Carter, Grant Harris, and Melody Copeman in 2011.

Black Ghost is named after an Amazonian fish: the Black Ghost Knifefish, the most energy-efficient electric fish on the planet. It is a mobile art piece, a mode of transportation, and a platform generating and storing power.  It allows riders to travel great distances using pedal power and optional electric assistance from hub motors built into the rear wheels. Furthermore, the Bike Car doubles as a pedal-powered electricity generation and storage station. At events the bike car allows participants, spectators and entertainers to connect with one another using energy as a medium for interaction and excitement!

It is hard to fathom our modern world without a stable energy supply. With energy’s ease of use and availability, we often forget the cost our consumption has has on our environment. By putting electricity production at a human scale, our hope is that the Black Ghost will excite and inspire others to learn more about sustainable and clean energy.

Pedal Power Anything, Anywhere!

Features

  • Mobile pedal-powered electricity generation and storage!
  • Built in sound, lighting and power monitoring elements to enhance crowd engagement!
  • 2 standard 120v outlets
  • 1500W of AC power
  • 48V LiFePO4 Battery Pack
  • Over 4kW-h of battery power
  • 3000W of electric assistance

Facebook Page

Tricycle with rainbow lighting around the seat

Rainbow Raceway

Four people siting on tricycles dressed as mario characters

Rainbow Road Raceway is an interactive art experience. gBike and eatART collaborated to create this project: an adaptation of a classic video game, made into a real life-sized adventure.

Rainbow Road Raceway is comprised of the racetrack: a 160 meter-long, rainbow LED lit circuit; a large viewing platform in the shape of a castle that doubles as a dance floor: the blown-up copy of the 2013 “Another Castle;” and 7 electric trikes for one to race with! These vehicles respond to power-ups and obstacles; they speed up, they slow down and they even change colours depending on the encounter.

The project was successfully brought life at Burning Man in 2017. It is currently looking for more grounds to cover.

Check out the Kickstarter here.
Stay informed about events on Facebook here.

white stool with peddles in front of man sitting in leather chair

gSnails

Four white stools with peddles on them

gSnails (2013)

gBikes was contacted by Vancouver’s Wilder Snail to create a unique addition to the cafe, culminating in gBikes’ first permanent installation. Dubbed the ‘gSnails’, this
row of four electricity-generating stools allow riders to independently power their own laptops, cell phone chargers, or any other electrical device. An integrated computer system provides real time data into how their pedalling efforts are affecting their own energy production and consumption.

Currently residing at a school in Surrey, BC since 2018.

TECH SPECS
Power: Avg. 100W / Peak 250W (Per Rider)

Previous events include: eatART Power’s the VAG events, East-Side Culture Crawl and
the eatART Transit Party where former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson rode them.

Photo’s of deployments here.

Close up of leather chair with peddles attached to the recliner

gLiving

leather chair with electric generator attached to it situated in a living room

gLiving was a leather recliner with an electric bike generator welded to the frame. Participants would sit in the chair and pedal, lighting up an infinity mirror embedded in an old television set. Created in 2012 by the group gBikes, the project exemplified opposites: active consumption, or self-sustaining energy use.

gLiving invites viewers to re-imagine energy as a relationship that both gives and receives. The human body can output around 250 watts for short bursts of time which is slightly over the power required for 120 watt incandescent bulbs. By visualizing the energy required to power an LED strip, the participant can begin to build a tangible relationship with energy consumption.

The project was commissioned as an entrance piece at a UBC art gallery. It also appeared at a number of local events including eatART Powers the VAG and Vancouver Mini Maker Faire.

As of 2015 gLiving was officially retired. It lives out the remainder of its days as a coffee grinder.