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Chevrolet and Michigan students team up to design new cycle for wounded veterans

Chevrolet and Michigan students team up to design new cycle for wounded veterans
Chevy and Michigan Technological University's new cycle (Photo: General Motors)
Chevy and Michigan Technological University's new cycle (Photo: General Motors)
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Chevy and Michigan Technological University's new cycle (Photo: General Motors)
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Chevy and Michigan Technological University's new cycle (Photo: General Motors)
Showing off the new cycle for wounded vets (Photo: General Motors)
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Showing off the new cycle for wounded vets (Photo: General Motors)
Anthony Robinson of the Achilles Wounded Vets team with the new cycle
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Anthony Robinson of the Achilles Wounded Vets team with the new cycle
Michigan Technological University student Brett Jenkins, General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson, and Achilles Wounded Vets team member and retired Army Sgt. Anthony Robinson (left to right)
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Michigan Technological University student Brett Jenkins, General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson, and Achilles Wounded Vets team member and retired Army Sgt. Anthony Robinson (left to right)
The team with their new cycle
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The team with their new cycle
Michigan Technological University student Brett Jenkins, General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson, and Achilles Wounded Vets team member and retired Army Sgt. Anthony Robinson (left to right)
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Michigan Technological University student Brett Jenkins, General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson, and Achilles Wounded Vets team member and retired Army Sgt. Anthony Robinson (left to right)
General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson showing off the new cycle
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General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson showing off the new cycle
General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson showing off the new cycle
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General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson showing off the new cycle
James Cook, one of the Michigan Technological University designers, with the new cycle
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James Cook, one of the Michigan Technological University designers, with the new cycle
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Chevrolet and Michigan Technological University have teamed up to build a new tricycle for wounded veterans. This new cycle is built to be race-ready, so users are still able to compete in marathons and other distance races in the most efficient way possible.

The new cycle is designed in such a fashion that athletes lean forward and pump the pedals with their hands. In many cases, this can be more efficient and comfortable than a traditional wheelchair for long periods, such as during a marathon or other long-distance race.

The cycle is built with durability in mind, as the riders would be putting it through a lot of strain while competing. It's built with high-strength steel alloys, which should be able to withstand the rigors of being used by high-performance athletes. The cycle also comes with features such as improved restraints, which should provide a safer, more comfortable ride than similar trikes.

The cycles will be provided to the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans for use in marathons and races around the United States, and as such, they need to be portable. The team designed a pivoting fork-to-frame attachment that allows the front wheel to be tucked in towards the seat during transit. This decreases the overall size of the cycle while on the move. GM and Chevy also provided the team with a new Silverado HD for transporting the cycles.

Retired Marine Cpl. Joseph Woodke of Port Hope, Michigan, who is a member of the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, will ride the new cycle onto the field before Saturday's Army versus Navy football game.

Source: GM

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4 comments
4 comments
YouAre
Thanks MTU and GM! I wish GM would do more than give a few bucks though, with its design/engineering capabilities it could do much better, needless to say that it has some spare capacity. But I have no hopes of it going seriously into the HPV niche: even if the car market is oversaturated, the margins are still juicy for the lucky ones, unfortunately.
Walk Buttons Ash Torres
It's a Fernando Fernandes invention, a brazilian parathlete, not Michigan/Chevrolet. They simply watched the device on TV and are claiming the laurels...
ccguy
GM just survived a near-death experience. It is trying to stay alive in a brutal market. To say that they have spare engineering capacity does not recognize this fact.
Layne Nelson
Nothing new there! Top-End & Quickie have been making them for years. They are called Handcycles. No, they are not eligible for most Marathons.