Background of the designer
The CEO and designer for Trident motorcycles, Nathan W Pingel, has over 35 years of design, engineering, prototyping, fabrication, manufacturing and management experience.
Over the course of his product development career, he has developed, worked on, or consulted on many devices which help the mobile-impaired. This is where Trident story starts.
How did he get his start in mobile design?
It started early in his career where he did research and testing. His interest in the development of transformative mechanisms came from a study to find out what problems wheelchair users faced.
After many interviews with wheelchair users he felt he wanted more information. To get this information Nate acquired a wheel chair and used it, 24 hours a day, for 7-days, forcing himself to experience the challenges the wheelchair user faced.
From this the beginning development of design audit and management method was developed, “TIDM Technical Integrated Design management” came about which is used to solve complex design application problems. (see attached audit) By using TIDM, Agile, Scrum “Nate” said there are many disciplines which lead me to the Trident design, but the one bits of information which stood out to me:
“everyone is going to have mobility challenges, it’s matter of when, where and how we make joyful transformative mechanisms to assist others.”
A few transformative mechanisms
Making manual transmissions available to disabled person with multi leg prosthesis.
A robotic clutch operated by a button on the end of a 4-speed floor shifter was developed so an amputee could use a manual car. The button was hand operated. The speed which your thumb released the button is the speed in which the clutch would engage or disengage. This allowed the drive to experience the fun of driving a manual car.
All-terrain vehicle
The airski an alternan vehicle which goes over snow, water, ground and fly’s. This vehicle allowed anyone with a mobility problem to get into the out back in any weather condition. The unique control system adapted to each drives limitation.
Robotic stairs
Developed and patented robotic stairs’. Many buildings do to age have tight stares configuration which makes it hard to fit a ramp. The robotics stairs resolve this problem. The robotic stair system which can go from being a set of stairs into a lifting plate form. This allowed the users the great flexibility in entering the building and required no ramp. It also removes social stigmas from identifying an individual that has a mobility problem by not having a ramp in front of their home.
Robotic plate form lift
A low-profile floor lift was developed allowing wheel chair users method of getting up to counter high and to upper cabinets in a kitchen without the lift being in the way. It is low profile which allowed it to be installed into the floor which gave it a seamless look at floor level. It also was easy to installation and has great application flexibility.
Industrial compactor fencing system
www.Smartsurround.com a fencing system which can be used for large industrial compactors, it is hurricane rated. It is designed to help people with mobility problem and has an easy to use access system for wheelchair user or anyone with a mobility problem. Making recyclable easy to do.
Wheelchair motorcycle
Trident motorcycles; Nate was speaking with friends who had mobility problems who wanted motorcycles. He had also received emails and phone calls at his design firm (Pingel Design Group) asking about mobile assess bikes. Some had bikes which were modified to accommodate wheel chairs had problems with ease of use, handling, safety, performances and looks. Nate knew that the people who liked riding had a look and feel to their bikes need to be gotten.
During the development stage, one of the phone calls Nate received was from Colin Everson, who loved the design and was seeking more information on the Statius of the bike. The two struct up a close friend ship.
Nate later learned Colin was in the hospital and was very ill, his illness had him hospitalized for over 300+ days. With mounting medical bills, affording a motorcycle posed a challenge for Colin.
The next problem to solve was how to make the bike available to those who could not afford it. This is where the Trident Donation Program originated.
Here is where you can be an important part of the success of the Trident bike; we need your help in getting the startup funding and information out to the public, so others can have the joy of driving a trident motorcycle in the wide-open country.