LUMBERING CONTRAPTION
Curiosity Questions
• How would people-powered cars change the way we travel?
• What are some everyday devices that can be powered by using the energy created from pedaling, running, or walking?
Science Themes
Hamster Wheel
A hamster wheel is an exercise device used primarily by hamsters and rodents. In the wild, a hamster can run for
several miles in a single night. As hamsters became popular household pets, the wheel provided an opportunity
for hamsters to exercise within a confined space.
Mechanical Energy
Mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic (energy possessed by an object due to its motion or movement) and potential (energy
possessed by an object due to its motion or movement) energy in an object that is used to do work.
In other words, mechanical energy is the energy in an object due to its motion or position, or both. Animals produce and use
mechanical energy when moving; for example, energy is created and used through muscle stretching, arm/leg swings,
walking/running, heart beats, and blood flow.
Source:scribble7judy.blogspot.com
A hamster can generate a short-circuit current from running upwards of about 50-100 mV. This is a very
small amount of energy, considering a household appliance usually requires 120 V of energy.
LUMBERING CONTRAPTION
Makers and Making
THE ARTIST | 5 Ton Crane – The original design was formulated on a restaurant paper napkin by Jo Slota in 2008, and has been
created by the 5 Ton Crane artist collective based in Oakland, California. The design was first fabricated as a small scale model,
resembling a locomotive front attached to a typical hamster wheel size (of about 14 inches, or 35.6 cm), which is the size of a small
ball. The Lumbering Contraption was first showcased in 2008 at the Handcar Regatta in Santa Rosa, California.
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION | The Lumbering Contraption stands 10 feet (3 metres) tall and 10 feet (3 metres)
wide and 20 feet (6 metres) long. Think of a very tall person, holding a very large beach ball above their head!
The cage of the contraption is made from rolled angled iron, welded together to form a circle. The front
cowcatcher allows the device to move along metal tracks, like a locomotive.
10 feet
(3 metres)
tall
The tracks fit around the cage, so that the riders can propel the device along the tracks by running inside the cage. The device, is
capable of holding up to three riders, with an additional driver for steering the device from the front cowcatcher.