[@gt]

Hello,

I am hoping someone would be able to help design and create something for special needs child  in the school I work in. The child is cognitively and physically impaired and we are working of getting her an adaptive bike through a grant. An adaptive bike is a bike for individuals with special needs that provides extra support and makes it easier to ride.

Although we’d be able to use a push handle to propel the bike, it would be great if the child herself would be able to learn to pedal.

The child loves sounds and music and we think it would be a good idea to somehow adapt the bike to make it play different sounds each time she pedals. I was thinking maybe some sort of device that can attach to the wheels or pedals that sense movement or pressure and would immediately play the sounds as soon as the child begins to exert force on the pedal, and then stop if the child stopped pedaling.

It think it would be important though to somehow make it not play the sound if the bike is being pushed by the therapist/parent, since the goal of this contraption would be to encourage the child to propel the bike.

We do not yet have the special bike, or know which exact one we will get, but I’m wondering if such a contraption is even possible to make, how much it would cost and how much effort would be needed to create it.

Thank you!

 

[@ot3dorg]

This is a super interesting idea! The first thing that came to mind for me was that you could use a small music box with the traditional handle swapped out for a small wheel. If that wheel is in contact with the tire of the bike, it would play music and change pace as pedaling speeds up or slows down.

Another potential idea that comes to mind is using the scroll wheel of a computer mouse as a usb switch. When the mouse wheel spins, register it a continuous on/off and wire it into a noise making device. Similar idea of attaching it to the wheel of the bike to register motion. With this, you could wire an on/off switch into it and use that to determine if the music plays.

Hopefully this spurs some ideas!

[@nnsadegh]

Hi, my name is Netanel and I am part of a university engineering organization called Tikkun Olam Makers that would love to help design this. If possible, could we schedule a time to speak with you over Zoom to discuss this further possibly? You can reach us at [email protected].

[@jackducan07]

I want to share a project about making a bike sound like a motorbike using these simple cards. First, I need some cards and cut a hole the same size as a zip tie through the middle and edge of them. Then glue them together, Finally, using the zip tie, fasten the card on the bike’s frame, close to the rear wheel’s forks. 

[@jackducan07]

A way to make your bike sound like a motorcycle is simply just creating noise makers for the bike gears but it might get pretty loud. You should consider this before trying.

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