Dr. Geoffrey M. Knight: Distractions

2001
Version #6

New people have joined the project with new ideas and enthusiasm.

	John Donati has volunteered to help power a tandem vehicle and
	Max Peters has brought in his expertise in manufacturing airplanes to build a vehicle using aircraft technology.

The thought of not undertaking the journey solo and the expertise in manufacturing the vehicle was an enormous relief.

A prototype wheel has been assembled and mounted onto a testing jig to determine how much lateral load it could sustain.

A weight of 900 kilograms (about 3 times the maximum force estimated it would sustain during the journey) was loaded at the outer circumference producing a deflection of approximately 12 mm. After the load was removed the wheel returned to the unstressed position without any permanent deformation. The 3 remaining wheels are currently being spun.

2000
Version #5

A vehicle was manufactured to undertake the journey using a steel frame and wheels manufactured from plywood. A Caboose was made to tow behind to hold supplies and provide shelter during the expedition. There was a special steering configuration to enable foot steering when the vehicle was being propelled by kite power. Sadly on final testing it did not meet specifications and like the Spruce Goose became no more than a curiosity to walkers along the beach.

2000
Version #4

It had become apparent that large diameter wheels were the best was to address the varying range of conditions encountered on the Antarctic Ice Cap and a tricycle was built using 1.2m diameter wheels that performed particularly well in the sand and varying configurations using wheels with either single or double stabilizer wheels were tested in both sand and snow.

1999
Version #3

The idea behind this vehicle was to emulate a snow mobile by producing a recumbent platform with either wheels or skis in front for steering and a belt drive at the rear for propulsion as well as kite power. The vehicle was unsuccessful.

1999
Version #2
(background)
Version #3
(foreground)

1999
Version #2

After a year of testing a relatively lightweight vehicle was developed on the original platform and using thin steel tubing to form a frame an outer skin of Corflute was wrapped over the vehicle to insulate the operator from the elements. The vehicle was designed so that the back would easily fold down to form a cubicle for cooking and sleeping. Double cross spoked bike wheels with an inner tube between to aid floatation were used to support the vehicle on the snow. Propulsion was to be achieved using both pedal and kite power if the conditions were favorable. Varying configurations were used but all proved to be unsuccessful.

1998
Version #1

The initial idea was to use a recumbent vehicle with fat tires to travel over the Antarctic terrain. A single steel tube chassis incorporated an articulated front axle. A chain drive drove a fixed rear axle. Steering, braking and gear changing occurred at the steering stalks beside the operator. The problem with this vehicle was that when tested in snow conditions the wheels became bogged making passage impossible. Wheels using a hard outer skin performed much better in snow and sand conditions

Current Distraction

Ice Bike Development