CCAT pedal electric blender

CCAT co-director Krystal Rogers demonstrates how to make a "smoothie"at a CCAT staff party while getting in some exercise at the same time.

The CCAT pedal powered electric blender was designed and built by Bart Orlando. CCAT asked Bart to build a pedal powered blender which they could use at a reception follwing the inauguration ceremony for HSU president Roland Richmond in 2003. It is also used by a varity of campus organizations for their fund raising activities. It is currently on display at CCAT's temporary office building.

A fan belt is rapped around the flywheel of an exercise bike and the pulley of high voltage, low rpm permanent magnet dc generator. 110v blenders and some other low power ac appliances can be powered provided they are built using universal motors which run on ac or dc. The next stage of development of this project is to mount the generator directly to the frame of the exercise bike via a gravity tensioned swing arm. This will eliminate the need for the heavy wooden pedistle upon which the generator is currently mounted. The electrical wiring should be brought up to code. Transparent lexan-polycarbonate finger gaurds should be installed to prevent children from catching their figures between the fanbelt, pulley and flywheel. Lastly, large caster wheels should then be mounted to the base of the exercise bike's frame so that the devise can be moved easily. Because of the redundant nature of an exercise bike as compared to a bicycle that is used for transportation, a system should be designed that incorporates a blender, powered by a generator mounted on a bicycle that tows an ice-box trailer.