The next generation of city planners

If you just can’t wait for the next generation of city planers, start building the world as you would like it to be. Letsevo has put a CAD BMX Ramp in google earth Location: Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Download the file, open it up in google earth, get inspired and give your hood something to be proud of…drop us a comment to share your creations.

Does the world need another Carbon Fiber bike?

If it looks as awesome as the amazingly crafted C-Thru Bike from BME, I am afraid it does.

The C-thru road frame is made from solid carbon rods carefully bonded together into its geometry. BME is the effort of the Slovakian engineer Brano Meres who has been experimenting among other things, with bamboo/carbon fiber constructions.

Now what would happen if we added a little bit of biology’s intelligence to Brano Meres’ construction?
Lets say, some adaptive design strategies regarding the spacing and dimension of the carbon rods….what do you think?

Nature puts material only where its needed… so there is a variation in the density of structures, always. Are the forces equal along the top tube of a Road Bike? If not…There could be some generative design patterns being applied to the construction defining its shape in relationship to the forces acting upon it…

Steffen R? What do you think? Ansys meets Generative Components meets Bike frame?

Give it up for Brano Meres. Amazing work, congratulations!

Evolution of Surfboards Part I

While adventuring myself though the Flickr`s search engine, I found what one would point out as the perfect surfboard for the famous right at Pipeline. Those who surf know what I am talking about.

If you know something about this board, leave a comment here. I would love know more about!

First Lets-Evo Open Product Development Project

It’s official, Fibra Design Sustentável and Lets-Evo start a virtual development blog for the development of a sustainable skateboard. The goal of the platform is to shorten the innovation cycle through at dynamic open environment where Designers, Artists, Engineers, Producers and users interact in order to build a better product.

 

Project Page

Do you know how to build a rocket bike?

Remember when mom used to say, kid! How many times do I have to tell you not to play with fire!!! yeahh I remember. And in Brazil, moms also say that kids that play with fire pee in bed much more than normal kids. I never met the mom of this rocket guy but I am sure he didn´t listen to her.

Sorry to all the moms out there but wouldn’t it be nice to build an opensource rocket bike? or at least learn How to. I don´t know a thing about rockets but I know a lot about bikes, I also know some crazy friends (the Alltrack Bicycles Crew) that would love to ride this thing. The test track would be at Ipanema Beach, at a sunday afternoon when the road is open for pedestrians. But we would need to find this guy to share his knowledge, we would also need ideas for potencial sponsors (administrators);we would need a camera for documentation (film makers, journalists); a music band for the video soundtrack and DJ for the release party. Ok, before the party, we must build this bike.

Unfortunately I wouldn´t be able to build a rocket bike like this myself (at least not without giving up my job as a designer to study a lot about rockets) but I am sure there are many out there that could help me. In order to build this things with this complexity we should start thinking of a platform that would enpower different people to work in the same project, find a way to share knowledge in real time, sharing 3D files, spreadsheets, drawings etc., people working non-centralized in small subjects of the problem, sharing experiences to achieve one goal. In a realtime product development platform, this could happen not just with rocket bikes, but with any complex product. Its about communicating to evolute, to go further. So the list of things we need is definitely far from being complete but I think one thing is certain, we need to collaborate to build the products of our future. Peace.

Link to Video

Seen at the Eurobike 2006

Last week I got the chance to go to Friedrichshafen in south of Germany for the Eurobike 2006. As promissed before I have put a website together with all the pictures I made there. It was very nice event with a lot important companies, nice dirt jump and bmx freestlyle action and a very nice atmosphere between business madness, exotic bikes and german beer. During my stay there I got the chance to chat with a lot of people that are doing some really interesting products and also breathe some of the action going on outside at the Dirt track and the Bmx Flatland floor.

Among the nicest things that I saw here are some that are worth to taking a closer look:

Amazing beautiful Waldmeister Wood Bicycle Frame

 

 

 

 

Custom made seats for your - the negative design off your “behind” from GebioMized (Uni Münster)

 

 

Bionicon on-the-fly variable geometry bicycles

 

 

 

 

Scott´s pro rider Niki Gudex crosscoutry bike (If I had a wife, that would be one of her bikes)

 

Stonedigger - Graduation Project from Ralf Tröger at Centurion Bikes (Collaboration rules!)

 

 

 

 

Coming up: Eurobike 2006 photos

September 4, 2006 by Henrique Monnerat  
Filed under Cool Events, Design for Sport

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I am back from the 2006 Eurobike and I am already working on the photos and videos that I made there, filtering up the sweetest stuff for you to check here at the Lets Evo Blog.

Until then, enjoy this nice panorama of the dirt track built at the fair. I leave already my thanks to Hendrik Schäfer from Senso Design, who gave me VIP tickets for the event.

 

Engineers Vs. Designers

August 17, 2006 by Henrique Monnerat  
Filed under Design for Sport

1 Comment

As far as I hate to admit. This a one example showing that engineers can also make beautiful products. Four students from the Hochschule für Technik in Rapperswil (Switzerland) made this awesome Carbon Frame as a part of their studies. Here in europe is fucking amazing how companies support the work done in Universities. If you look at the projects web site they hat 13 sponsors!!! I hope someday we will be like that in Brasil.

Image from: Paucoplast AG (project sponsor)
University website: Hochschule fuer Technik in Rapperswil
Project website: Heizkoerper Bikes

Thanks for sharing Basti

EVO Skateboard Project: Gluing Process

July 14, 2006 by Henrique Monnerat  
Filed under Design Collaboration, Design for Sport, Lets Evo Projects

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For those who don´t know yet how the curvature in a skateboard is achieved here is a brief example how a board comes to its shape.

Basically a skateboard is made from an uneven (7,9,11) number of wood layers laid between two CNC molds (Forms) that hold the positive and the negative side of the board’s curvature. When laying the wood layers, it is important to pay attention to the direction of the woodfibers making sure the they are always 90° in relationship to the top and bottom layers, this ensures a great deal of stability. Between each wood layer comes a small amount of epoxy resin evenly distributed. After giving them 18 hours of pressure we have strong skateboard curvature ready to be cut.

Ski Speed Record Suit

June 1, 2006 by Henrique Monnerat  
Filed under Design for Sport

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Lets Evo has always an appreciation for crazy record breakers. The austrian ski champion Harry Egger is going to try to beat Philippe Goitschels world speed record of 250.7 km/h. He is going to wear a suit made of carbon fiber that and tested at the wind channels from the Sauber F1 team. To slow down he will use a parachute operated by a remote controll. Lets see if he can stop that thing.

I couldn´t find more information about this suit, if some of you know anything, let us know please.

photo: © Bernhard Spoettel

More info about Speed skiing at http://www.speedski.com/

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