Accession No
L2017.IN046.1
Brief Description
muscle bicycle, by William Smith, English, 1970 (c)
Origin
England; Cambridge
Maker
Smith, William
Class
biology; electrical; demonstration
Earliest Date
1970
Latest Date
1979
Inscription Date
Material
wood; metal; cork; plastic (Teflon); glass
Dimensions
200mm (width), 210mm(depth), 210, (height)
Special Collection
Provenance
Transferred from Dept of PDN Downing st, Cambridge CB23EG in 30/3/2017
Inscription
Description Notes
Muscle bicycle, by William Smith, English, c. 1970
The muscle bicycle has a cork board one a plastic platform, with a metal wheel at the end. This is all supported on a metal structure, which is decoratively designed in the shape of Richard Adrian's initials, one on each side. The object is in a glass dome, on a wooden base- in an oval shape. The glass is cracked at one end. It has small metal feet.
References
Events
Description
This muscle bicycle was built by William Smith, who worked as a technician for the late Richard Adrian. It was exhibited and demonstrated at a public lecture to the Royal Institute in 1989.
An isolated amphibian gastrocnemius muscle is mounted on the cork board by its origin below the knee joint. The sciatic nerve is led over a pair of electrodes at one end, and a thread through the muscle insertion is attached to the Teflon bearing on the shaft at the other end.
Following an initial stimulation, the contracting muscle rotates the shaft, thereby displacing the upper of a pair of metallic strips. There strips are made of different metals hence they have different ionisation potentials.
Contact between the two metal strips sets up a voltage that serves to restimulate the muscle, resulting in a repeating cycle of muscle stimulation and periodic mechanical activation that produces a sustained operation of the bicycle.
10/02/2023
Created by: Whipple Admin on 10/02/2023
FM:47586
Images (Click to view full size):
