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Amazing solar, detachable-bike tour bus would immerse tourists in cities

By | August 22, 2011, 8:31 PM PDT

Tourist buses don’t usually have good reputations with the locals. Take Seattle’s duck boat tour (that also drives on land) that blares music as tourists singalong or Washington D.C.’s Tourmobile that has a monopoly on guided tourism on the National Mall.

But there might be one tourist transportation concept that even the locals could get behind.

Kukil Han, a designer from Seoul, has a come up with the amazing solar-powered tour bus where tourists sit on a bike. When tourists arrive at their destination the bikes detach from the bus and the tourists are free to explore the area. A GPS system is on handle bars to help tourists navigate the destination. It’s public transportation meets bike-share. Check out the video:

BIKE GUIDE from Kukil Han on Vimeo.

Not only does this design keep tourists from polluting the city, but it helps to integrate tourists into the community and neighborhoods where on a traditional tour bus they would just gawk like they’re at the zoo. Tourists can more naturally immerse themselves into the fabric of the city they’re visiting and have a more rich exploration of the city when they’re on a bike. Plus, with a GPS unit built in the bikes there’s no lost, confused tourists biking around the city (you can dream, right?).

[Via Treehugger]

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Tyler Falk

About Tyler Falk

Tyler Falk is a contributing editor for SmartPlanet.

Tyler Falk

Tyler Falk

Contributing Editor

Tyler Falk freelance journalist based in Washington, D.C. Previously, he was with Smart Growth America and Grist. He holds a degree from Goshen College.

Follow him on Twitter.

Tyler Falk

Tyler Falk

Tyler does not have financial holdings that would influence how or what he covers.

He writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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This is amazing
I would love taking on these bikes man
Posted by saadamjad
23rd Aug 2011
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Wha..?
The locals in downtown Seattle love the Ducks! There was a/some council member(s) who do not live downtown who heard them and decided they were not 'dignified' and decided to quiet them down. Fortunately not all Duck Boat passengers sit down and shut up. Most passengers sing along with the drivers and play along each time a Starbucks comes up. People on the street used to cheer and wave at the passengers as they cheered and waved back. This is one of my daughters and granddaughters fondest memories about coming to Seattle to visit and they still cheer and wave.
Posted by Pambyz
23rd Aug 2011
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Cute, and maybe even good overall, but the docking method is impossible.
The docking method shown in the video is impossible: A bike's wheel and tire are solid or effectively solid (with e.g. spokes) so a fastening arm cannot simply pass through as shown and swing over to lock the bike in place. This is not to say that the docking/locking function cannot be done in essentially that way, just not with quite such a large/long/wide bar as shown, and it would have to avoid banging into the crank and pedals, also conveniently omitted in the video.

Further:
Safety issues wih the docking/locking method include smashing a finger/toe etc. as the bar moves; this would need to be shielded somehow, at least here in the USA. This adds weight, takes up space, etc. which may or may not be a significant issue in completing the overall design and still be lightweight enough to get around on only solar power. An interesting project, though -- I'd like to be involved in it.

Jim in MN
Posted by Jim-Bob_z
24th Aug 2011
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