The previous year has provided us with new opportunities. Some utilized this time to restart living a healthy life while others enjoyed relaxing and resting. Ben Grice a Mechanical Engineering student at Louisiana Tech University took the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic uniquely. He utilized this spare time to develop a new skill: welding.
“Necessity is the mother of invention”
Ben had always been creative, before pandemic he had already set his mind onto building something from the scratch. As the lockdown was initiated, he got time to learn new things, which is when he started welding. At first, he worked for numerous hours to polish his skills. Then gradually he started creating more complicated structures, of different shapes and sizes. This gradual process led to the idea of building an electronic bike.
The idea quickly became a process when Ben’s parents refused to buy him a motorcycle. Ben decided to make his own. Instead of a motorbike, he started working on an e-bike.
“Learning is a continuous process”
Ben soon started working on a design. He had previously created a prosthetic arm for a 7-year old tri-athlete using a 3D printer. His experience of working with SolidWorks, designing software helped him create an apt design for the arm as well as the bike. Ben began to work on modifying his old bicycle; he attached a battery and an electric engine to make a battery-powered bike.
Under the guidance of his university professor Dr. Timothy Reeves, Ben fabricated an electronic bike. Ben is still working on further improvements, he is currently working on the third prototype, with plans of making more.
Ben Grice is a creative, hardworking, and perseverant individual. He encountered numerous failures, but never stopped working. Under the guidance of experts, he learned new concepts about the functionality of every part of the machine. And implemented his knowledge in the design accordingly. His commitment and self-motivation for this project have truly been outstanding.
