I grew up in a city where concrete towers touched the sky and traffic never ceased. Living in an over-polluted environment, I became acutely aware of the pressing issue of pollution. Every time I visited my mother's hometown in Kerala, nestled among lush greens and mountains, I felt a profound difference. The clean air and natural beauty starkly contrasted with the urban chaos, reinforcing my growing passion for sustainability and reducing our environmental footprint.
I wanted to create something that would help the poor while also protecting our earth. After extensive research, I envisioned an eco-friendly bicycle that not only offered a smooth ride but also told a story of harmony between technology and nature.
Objective:
To design and construct an eco-friendly bicycle using bamboo as the primary material.
Driven by this newfound inspiration, I delved into research, exploring bamboo and its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio. Realizing bamboo's rigidity and inability to bend, I decided to use scrap bicycle parts for the initial models, replacing the metal frames with bamboo while keeping metal joints for added stability.
I took my father's help to turn the idea into reality. We spent countless nights working together and ended up creating three bicycles:
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A large-sized bicycle for adults
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A medium-sized bicycle for young kids
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A small tricycle for small children
Each bicycle showcased the strength and sustainability of bamboo, providing an eco-friendly transportation solution.
Through this project, I discovered how traditional materials like bamboo can be innovatively used in our modern life, and the profound impact that eco-friendly solutions can have on our environment and communities.
