What do you get when you cross a treadmill with a washing machine? Give up? Something that looks a little like this, actually. A kid by the name of Zhang Jiayu from the northeastern Liaoning province thought that conventional washing machines wasted far too much electricity. He then had the bright idea of creating one that was powered by a man running on top.
It’s not the most elegant solution in the world, but it is kinda cute. Given the popularity of early morning calisthenics in China as well as the abundance of wacky exercise contraptions, this human-powered washing machine might fit right in. Check out the news clip below (in Chinese) spotlighting the machine in action (Note: readers in China who can’t view YouTube, please use this Youku link).
Oddly enough, this was not the first time that a young Chinese student has built a washing machine of this sort. Some students at Hohai University in Jiangsu province improvised this tricycle-powered washing machine just last year.
The beginning of a trend perhaps?
Tricycle-powered washing machine
