A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign is raising money for a new type of watersport. The Aqua Elliptica works like a cross trainer that is used on water. Users pump away on the footplates to turn a propeller and move the machine forward.
The Aqua Elliptica slots into the stand-up paddleboarding category of watersports. It’s made up of a number of parts that can be put together in different ways, to provide a variety of uses. The primary construction is a catamaran arrangement with two feet supporting a platform on the surface of the water.
“The Aqua Elliptica has been in development since May of 2013, although I have been working on stand-up paddleboarding for the past two years,” the machine’s inventor, Uriel Arad, tells Gizmag. “There have been several different design concepts, drawings, CAD, building with different parts.”
The machine is currently only a prototype, which is bigger and heavier than the final version will be. If it goes into production, however, the plan is to build it using 90 percent composite carbon fiber and Kevlar. The propeller will be driven by a flexible shaft and a differential, and the device will be able to reach a speed of up a to 7 knots (8 mph or 13 km/h).
In order to be commercially viable, will it need to to be built with materials funded by the Kickstarter campaign. Arad says he still plans to take the product forward if the Kickstarter target of US$50,000 is not met, but that it will take longer and investment will have to be sourced from elsewhere.
If the campaign is successful, however, the Aqua Elliptica will go into production in July and should be available by September. It is expected to retail for $2,000 to $2,500.
You can view the Kickstarter pitch video below.
Sources: http://www.gizmag.com/
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