Energy-Generating Bikes Made From Trash Power Film Festival in France

So far we’ve seen <a href="https://inhabitat.com/cycloclean-uses-pedal-power-to-purify-water-for-drinking/" target="_blank">bikes</a> power <a href="https://inhabitat.com/nyc/250-volunteer-cyclists-produced-nycs-first-pedal-powered-music-festival/">rock concerts</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/greenholidaygiftguide/green-gadgets/peddle-powered-ecoxpower-smartphone-bicycle-light/">smartphones</a> and even <a href="https://inhabitat.com/cyclean-bike-powered-washing-machine/">washing machines</a> - and now it looks like energy-generating bikes are headed to the movies! The <a href="http://www.echo-system.fr/ecodesign/open-sources/" target="_blank">Open Sources</a> collective created a series of five electric bikes to power projection equipment at this year's <a href="http://www.curieuxvoyageurs.com/">Curious Travelers Film Festival</a> in St Etienne, France. Each prototype was able to produce around 100W, and two of the bikes were made from locally collected waste.

The initiative was launched in 2012 by students determined to study the electricity production of pedaling.

First drawings and design study for the project were made by BP design agency.

Two of the five bikes were built using locally sourced waste materials such as such as old beds, supermarket hardboard crates and old benches.

All five bikes were used in an energy-efficiency experiment which marked the end of first phase of the project.

Each prototype was able to produce around 100W.

The experiment was successful and the team managed to ensure an eco-friendly 54-minute screening of films.

Measurements taken during the experiment showed that only three bikes were needed to meet the energy needs of the projector installed in the conference room of the School of Mines.

The electricity generating bikes were created by Open Source collective.