The Water-Cleaning Bike

Would you like to go for a bike ride on the water? Brazilian artist Ivan Henriques developed a bike that enables you to do just that. But there is more, while you are cycling merrily in the lake, it simultaneously purifies a trail of water after you.

The Waterbike body is made of four main parts: a spiral pump, a microbial purifier, pedals and floaters. The energy created from pushing forward the paddles brings water into the microbial purifier where bacteria thrive. These bacteria feed on the living organisms in water, which is one of the leading cause of pollution. This means, the more polluted the water is, the more food there is for bacteria to stay alive inside of the purifier.

Ivan Henriques’ work has a consistent focus on green living and the relationship between humans and our natural or artificial environment. His products are made for long term outdoor use with self-sustainability. By hacking into existing knowledge, Henriques puts science into daily life with stimulative and communicative quality.

In this work, he deconstructs a big mission of environmental sustainability into smaller, more achievable endeavor. Once made available to the general public, the Waterbike could change the way how daily transportation is approached, particularly by the commercial giants of sorts. With this project the inevitable damage made to the environment from driving cars or from public transports is eliminated, replaced with a pleasurable experience.

So how about a paddle ride with your loved ones into the marvelous sunset accompanied by the sound of babbling water, with the awareness that what you are leaving behind is nothing else but clean water? Let’s cruise!

Source: Ivan Henriques