Take the health benefits of cycling and combine it with the desire to create cleaner air, and you get the ROLLOE bicycle wheel.
Designed by Kristen Tapping, a student at London South Bank University, the ROLLOE wheel (aka roll off emissions) relies on pollution filters and movement to actively purify the air, requiring only pedal power to accomplish the goal.
Designed to fit the front of any standard bike, the ROLLOE features preliminary carbon and HEPA filters to purify dirty air as it enters through a cylindrical opening. The air is then pushed through a secondary set of filters via centrifugal force before expelling it through the exterior perimeter. As a result, the harder the cyclist pedals, the more the amount of air is purified.
The wheel itself comprises a three-spoke design that’s sandwiched by two hubcap-like attachments, which weighs in at 1,050g (2.3 pounds).
Tapping says she got the idea while riding through London and experiencing for herself poor air quality. From there, she estimated that an invention like the ROLLOE could produce as much as 79,865 m3 of clean air per year, if 10% of London’s bike-share programs switched over.
Additionally, if washable filters were used, maintenance would only be required every 250 kilometers (155.3 miles) or so.
If Tapping is successful in securing funding and the ROLLOE wheel goes into production, she’s also considering developing a similar rear wheel.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
