GREENSBURG, Ind. (AP) - A local civil engineer is garnering support for his invention, the Land Zeppelin, by participating in competitions, and he soon hopes to generate funds to build prototypes.
Jim Gorman, of Greensburg, has created a Zeppelin-shaped apparatus that allows bicyclists to ride in the rain without getting wet.
Named after the airship of the late 20th Century, the Land Zeppelin is a plastic, see-through cover, roughly the shape of a football - though much larger - that encloses the cyclist and bike and protects him from the rain.
Gorman remembers the day that inspiration struck: Nov. 22, 2011. It rained all day, and Gorman, who commutes to work by bicycle, thought about a way to make riding in the rain comfortable and safe. He started jotting down ideas on a green sheet of paper, which he has kept to this day. It contains both writing and, in the lower right corner, an initial sketch of what he has named the Land Zeppelin.
Gorman recently presented his invention in the Risk It Indiana competition, and though he did not win, he told the Greensburg Daily News (https://bit.ly/1rk2lG5 ) he had fun and learned a lot through feedback from the judges and conversations with the other inventors.
Risk It Indiana gives exposure to entrepreneurs, and winners get help to start or grow their business, said Kelsey Brown, marketing coordinator of the Southeast Indiana Small Business Development Center, which organizes the event.
Risk It, which was held for the third time this year, gives inventors five minutes to pitch their proposal, followed by five minutes for questions from judges. Entries are judged on creativity, showmanship and viability, with the latter accounting for half of the score.
Gorman said he plans to give a presentation at another event June 4.
He said he and his business partner, Mark Keillor, a semi-retired social scientist and tinkerer, need funds to continue developing the project. Gorman plans to launch within two months a crowdsourcing campaign at indiegogo.com to build beta prototypes. At the same time, Gorman and Keillor are looking for investors.
“We’re moving forward,” Gorman said.
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Information from: Greensburg Daily News, https://www.greensburgdailynews.com
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