A rickshaw ride in India is a trip not many enjoy, with rickety, pollution spewing autos being a common feature on our streets. Then there are also the tampered meters and rude auto drivers to deal with.
At a hackathon a couple of years ago, a team from Bosch in India came up with a proposal to build an electric rickshaw, that will sort out many of the issues the regular autos in India faced. For 22-year-old Kai Clemens Liebich, pursuing a master’s programme in embedded systems in Pforzheim,Germany, the proposal offered an opportunity to come to Bengaluru and intern on the project. The E-rickshaw prototype was developed during his six-month internship. Kai says, “I had no clue of what a rickshaw was. I travelled across South India and on rickshaws to understand the changes that need to be incorporated. We wanted to make a rickshaw that was faster than the 20 kilometres per hour that most autos in India clocked. We also wanted to ensure a prototype that did not emit harmful fuel emissions. The prototype is equipped with a powerful electric motor for each wheel and a new steering concept that makes the rickshaws safer and improves performances on bad stretches. We ensured that the suspension is fixed so that the rickshaw provides a jerk-free ride. I feel E-rickshaws will provide a cleaner and efficient solution to the problems of congestion and pollution that Indian cities grapple with. The rickshaw can be charged using a common wall plug”
He adds, “India has been a great learning experience. My task was to do a proof-of-concept by creating a working model. The next batch of interns will get a chance to take it forward. It was interesting to get a rickshaw, a vehicle I had only heard about and work on developing a new model. The prototype is set for a test ride this month end. Any design changes will be addressed by future Bosch interns. I am heading back to complete my thesis.”
