Pedaled Phone Calls (Llamadas Pedaleadas)

Have you ever seen a bicycle vendor selling ice cream, popsicles, corn on the cob, hotdogs, etc? If you haven't, the vendors are usually riding a three-wheeled bike with a cargo box in the front filled with their products. Inspired by these bikes and Nicaraguan's need to make phone calls, Brian Forde created Llamadas Pedaleadas.

Llamadas Pedaleadas, or Pedaled Phone Calls is a pedal powered phone station on a three wheeled bike that can go wherever people are and allows them to make phone calls according to their budget. It is kind of like a prepaid system or phone booth on the go.

Llamadas Pedaleadas, or Pedaled Phone Calls allows customers who are not able to get around to have phones come to them via a phone vendor. As the vendor pedals around the battery is charged and the customer can then make a call.

The batteries and parts to charge the pedal powered phone station have been found in junkyards or from what is common in the area. An example a Llamadas Pedaleadas can be made from "a car battery + an old computer battery backup UPS to convert the battery power to 110 volts."

If the battery begins to run low during the phone call all the vendor has to do is put the kickstand up, elevate the back tire, and pedal. It takes about 10 minutes of pedaling to use the phone for 1 hour and it makes phone calls affordable for people that don't have the option of unlimited cell phone minutes. It's eco-friendly, healthy and afforable!

Via Triplepundit