Make Magazine describes Steve Paine’s solar-powered bike tour, along the Rhein River.

His Solar-UMPC.com blog describes powering Ultra Mobile PCs through solar and natural energy sources. He’s blogging with a Samsung Q1b UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC) and portable solar gear. Here’s his gear and project photos.

The original plan was to cycle during the day with the solar panel across the back of the bike however, a 25W panel is too big to lay in a useful, efficient position across the back of the bike so either I suffer with 50% energy loss or I stop when the sun shines. I’m using RoboGeo to generate a live route map.

I’m using (mostly bought from my home country, Germany.)

• Sunlinq 12v / 25W foldable solar panel.
• Sonnenschein 12v / 6.6Ah lead-acid battery.
• Solar charge controller. 12v / 4A
• Samsung Q1b UMPC.
• TabletKiosk MP3400 Li-Ion battery pack.
• Voltcraft dual-mode 12v battery charger.
• Voltcraft 12v DC-DC adaptor.

The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is always up to something interesting, including Human-powered flight. On 23 August 1977 the Gossamer Condor 2 flew the first figure-of-eight, a distance of 2,172 metres winning the first Kremer prize. It was built by Dr Paul B. MacCready who passed away this week. He was the founder of AeroVironment and the inventor of the first practical flying machine powered by a human being.

Original Source: dailywireless.org