Jonathan Ota and Ethan Frier, both freshman industrial design majors, have some free time. Ota is from Santa Ana, Calif., and Frier is from Baltimore, Md., so perhaps they’ll do some exploring around Pittsburgh. They decide to check out a bicycle cooperative, Free Ride, which they can get to by bus, even though neither one is exactly sure what it’s all about.

When they get to the former industrial space and walk inside, they see a few work benches, some bike parts, and tools hanging everywhere. Along with a handful of other visitors, they take a tour and learn more about what the coop volunteers do—fix donated bikes and then give them away to groups and non-profit organizations that help those in need. At the end of the tour, they’re faced with a four-foot-high pile of bicycle inner tubes and two buckets filled with water. Receiving instructions from a staff member on how to repair inner tubes, the two students find themselves willing volunteers for the coop during the next two hours.

A year later, they still share an interest in the “mechanical beauty of bicycles.” They have also talked about working together on a yet-to-be-determined research project that would be eligible for $1,000 in funding from the Undergraduate Research Office. All they need is an idea. Then it dawns on them: Combine their design studies with their enthusiasm for bicycles.

Most bicycle fatalities occur at night and at intersections in crashes with cars and trucks. The two undergrads believe they can use their design skills to lessen that danger. Project Aura is born, through the funding, and a few months later the classmates have their demo—a self-powered bicycle lighting system that drivers can’t miss; riders need only pedal, the system is completely integrated into the rims of the bike, making the wheels look like spinning halos. And the color changes depending on the speed. “Good design has the right combination of beauty, novelty, functionality, and desirability,” says Frier.

Others seem to agree. The students uploaded a video online at vimeo.com, featuring Conrad Ellis (A’13), a classmate of Frier and Ota, taking Project Aura wheels for a spin; it has been viewed more than 100,000 times. Posts are overwhelmingly supportive:

“Spreading this video as far as possible. Thank you on behalf of an avid cyclist.”—Brandon Hoyt

“I wanna buy these.”—William Weggel

“Too cool.”—Roberto Reyes

“We’re working on a patent right now,” says Orta, “and trying to figure out funding for it.”
Jonathan Barnes (HS’93)

Project Aura Update
February 14, 2013—Ethan Frier and Jonathan Ota were recently granted the $25,000 Business Bout prize for Project Aura. The money has helped them build prototypes and hire engineers. Frier and Ota said one of the greatest benefits of the prize is access to Hustle Den and the mentors that come with it. Visit: Hustle Den