Karnataka

A tricycle with square wheels

Bangalore: You might not at first be convinced by the physics of it all — but it works. A tricycle with square wheels wowed scientists at the Indian Institute of Science, including its director P. Balaram, on Friday.

The first-of-its kind tricycle was developed by entrepreneurs, scientists and educators of the Agastya International Foundation, an education trust that promotes learning among rural children and teachers through channels including mobile labs.

“The main idea of the Square Wheel Bike is to show how abstract mathematics is translated into a physical object. The square wheel rolls smoothly, keeping the axle moving in a straight line – that is when it is placed over a surface of a complementary shape. In this case, the surface is an ‘inverted catenary’, or the shape of a loosely hanging chain,” said M. Shivkumar, one of the innovators of the bike.

Innovations like this help spark curiosity amongst children (and adults too) and attract them to engage in discovery, said Ramji Raghavan, chairman of Agastya. “The square wheel bike makes you think and question, because it is so unexpected and different from the mental model you have of a wheel being circular. It’s also fun to ride,” he added.

Designing the bike and the track did take some time.

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