Fail stories
 

I'm glad people are willing to experiment and learn for themselves, but nonetheless I have to wonder what they are smoking sometimes. So I submit this thread as a placeholder for modern engineering fails.


Wireless has good applications (i.e. cellphones) and not-so-good applications (i.e. a keyboard that permanently sits in front of a desktop computer).

In this case, "wireless" is achieved purely for marketing purposes, it is a laughable design, and claim, otherwise:
The Shadow ebike the first wireless electric bicycle ebike. Made in Canada
1. Wireless Power 'On/Off'
2. Wireless Magnetic Regenerative Brakes
3. Wireless Throttle
4. Wireless Pedal Assist
http://www.shadowebike.com/images/gallery/gal_01.jpg
There is no "remote" power switch, the throttle/power is bolted to the handlebar but requires separate batteries.

There appears to be another power switch in the wheel.

Pedals are mechanical, so every bicycle ever made prior to ebikes has wireless pedal assist.

Wireless brakes? WTF?

But to support the untiring wireless sales gimmick, they put the batteries in the front wheel with the motor!! Hub motors add quite enough rotating mass without adding the batteries. This takes extra energy to get rolling and to stop. It also makes for quite a gyroscope at speed I'm sure, not agile, try to turn the handlebars at a high enough speed and the bike will simply try to turn upside down instead :D If it were sprung weight, then it would be even more laughable.

This sort of thing always makes me think of that Jamiroquai song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JkIs37a2JE

Imagine you get in your car, but you can't go anywhere because you forgot to change the batteries in the throttle pedal, and making the throttle "wireless" made the handling suck.

Reminds me of the old story of "The Complicator's Gloves".

-soD