Siva Cycle Atom - Human-Powered Generator
When the Siva Cycle Atom says it wants some manpower, it wants some mother F'ing manpower. (Note: It will also accept elbow [knee?] grease from ladies.) An efficient, rechargeable block of pooled current, the Atom mounts to most standard bicycle frames to collect the kinetic energy generated during pedaling and convert it to electrical energy for directly charging an attached device, or storing in its detachable battery pack for emergency backup and on-demand power later.
Atoms accommodate any electronic device chargeable via USB, such as iPhones, iPods, Android phones, GPS trackers, and tablets. Lightweight and low-profile at 300 grams and 7-1/2" long, the box will fit on the rear wheel of all rim-brake bicycles with: a minimum of 20mm of space between the rear dropout and hub flange; and a hub flange of less than 3" in diameter. It can also affix to certain disc-brake, single-speed, and fixed-gear bikes, but no coaster-brake models at this time.
The Atom's generator portion employs a drive gear, an idler gear, and a magnet rotor to harness and transfer energy, and the battery pack is stuffed with lithium. Its 500mA charge rate matches that of USB 2.0 outputs in computers, meaning that attached devices will go from fully flat to fully charged just as fast on a bike as they would plugged in at a desk. Removable battery pack capacity is 1300mAh with an output charge of 500mA, so it, for example, will deliver a 70% charge to a dead flat iPhone 5. Also, all Atom units are to be assembled in the USA. Hopefully in a non-air conditioned Louisiana factory in late-August by cyclists who ride 3-deep on major arterials and people who still insist on wearing Lance Armstrong bracelets.
As a heartwarming bonus, Siva Cycle maintains a commitment to renewable energy technology and being nice, so for every ten Atoms sold they will donate one to those around the world in need of a compact, reliable power source.
Atoms continue their Kickstarter campaign through May 23, 2013. Anticipated delivery date for backers is November 2013.
December 2013 Update: Siva's Atom exceeded its crowdfunding goal and is now available for direct purchase through the company's website--follow the link below.
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