Under the guidance of Assistant Professor Dr. Bradley Layton in Drexel University’s College of Engineering, a team of students created a human-electric hybrid vehicle that aims to mitigate environment degradation and subvert the oil crisis that millions of people are facing today.

At speeds of 35 mph and with only one horsepower, Drexel University’s College of Engineering students are changing the traditional method of urban and suburban transportation with their environmentally friendly human-electric hybrid vehicle, the DragonWagon. The DragonWagon is a vehicle with pedals and a motor that can also be run on solar or fuel-cell technology that aims to create low-cost, zero-emissions alternatives to the automobile for use in urban and suburban environments. The vehicle, which has two seats and three wheels, utilizes both the power of either or both of the human passengers and a high-efficiency electric motor.

The DragonWagon was designed and built in four months for a senior design project by students Ray Canzanese of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Jessie Kaestle of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics (MEM), Kyungdo Kim (MEM), John Palermo (MEM), Joe Porcelli (ECE) and Michael Wigdahl (MEM). All graduating Drexel Senior Engineering students are required to complete a Senior Design project, teaching students the engineering design process from conception to production. With the guidance of MEM faculty advisor Dr. Bradley Layton, the students were able to create a vehicle that accelerates from zero-35 mph in under fifteen seconds, maintains a top speed of at least 35 mph, and enables braking and a turning radius comparable to that of a traditional automobile.

Layton says, “Anyone with the desire to exercise on their way to work, kick the oil habit and breathe a little easier can ride this trike.”

For Layton, the three major highlights of the project were winning the sprint competition at the American Society of Mechanical Engineering Human-Powered Vehicle competition in Madison Wisconsin in April, pedaling around City Hall with Mayor Nutter during National Bike to Work Week and a photo shoot with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson during his May 19, 2008 speech at Drexel.

The DragonWagon sponsors and volunteers come from some of the most highly regarded organizations in the area, including Central City Toyota, Ardmore Toyota, The Fire, Trophy-Bikes, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development DCED with the help of State Representative James Roebuck. Layton and his team also received input from local human-electric hybrid designers, John Tetz and Rich Sadler. For more information on the DragonWagon, please visit http://dragonwagon.wikidot.com/.

PDFversion of this article