DID YOU KNOW You Can Generate Electricity by Bicycling

If you attended last week-end’s Maker Faire, you know of course, that you can generate electricity from bicycling. One of the busiest exhibits was a music platform powered by bicycle power. The challenge had been to make this type of power available to the general public.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are in fact of learning to ride a bicycle. As an adult, I am more likely to ride a bicycle as a mode of transportation than as a mode of relaxation, but I still enjoy riding. As a child, I remember the little chargers that were available at the time that could be attached to one’s bicycle to power the lights. Siva Cycle, a company founded by Aaron Latzke and David Delcourt, has taken that idea to the next level by developing and marketing the Siva Atom. The Siva Atom, like the old chargers and the modern kinetic generators, converts the kinetic energy created by bicycling into electricity. But, instead of just connecting it to a light or a music platform, the Atom stores the electricity in a battery while also adding a USB connector to the product for powering your personal electronics. Siva Cycle (http://www.sivacycle.com) raised their first round of financing via an oversubscribed 2013 Kickstarter campaign. After running into some growing pains not uncommon for Kickstarter projects, Siva Cycle delivered on their campaign promises by the end of 2014.

Getting a product like the Siva Atom to market involves several steps: invention, prototyping, testing, production and distribution. Aaron Latzke, the inventor of the Atom, utilizes FATHOM for state of the art 3D printing processes to prototype and test the company’s products. FATHOM, located in downtown Oakland, is changing the way products are being designed and manufactured by helping designers and engineers, “make the unmakeable,” to use FATHOM’s words. Along with helping Kickstarter companies realize their goals, FATHOM’s expertise has helped put satellites into orbit, electric cars on freeways, and a full spectrum of innovative devices into the hands of people like you and me.

Having prototyped and tested the product in the United States, the founding team scoured the world for the very best production facilities, eventually choosing a facility just outside of Shanghai in the up and coming city of Liyang, China. Jiangsu Hengtai Electronics and Plastic Co. leveraged their state-of-the-art production protocol to accelerate a production process that used to take months into mere weeks.

As currently available, when you order the Siva Atom you get the Atom as a standalone aftermarket accessory which you need to install either yourself or take to your nearest bicycle store. I wouldn’t call myself a proficient bicycle mechanic by any means, but the product was so intuitive to install easier in fact than replacing an inner tube that before I knew it, I was done, riding away, producing power as I went.

Siva Cycle currently produces a great product for the commuter or casual bicyclist; however, Siva’s mission is to get power to those who need it most. Hoping to make a real difference in the world, Siva Cycle has identified and targeted countries like Burundi, where reliable electricity is a problem which is why I have also become involved with the country. To make this dream come true, Latzke and Delcourt will need to reduce the price point of the Atom as they scale in volume. But, to do this, they need to raise funds again. Another Kickstarter campaign is in the works, as well as a couple of other new projects. You can help by ordering a unit for yourself, a family member’s birthday gift, or even purchasing a unit or two for donation to individuals in need. To order your Siva Atom today go to http://sivacycle.com/products/atom.php