MEL-BIKE Electric Bicycle created by ITS Physics Students, (from left to right) Dr. Darmaji SSi MT (ITS Student Director) with MEL-BIKE PKM team, Muhammad Rizqi Mubarok, Misbachul Falach, and Pramitha Yuniar in the ITS External Monitoring and Evaluation event.

ITS Campus, ITS News – The increasing needs of the communities for vehicles in Indonesia that require fuel is not balanced by the availability of fossil fuels that are running low. Responding to this condition, the Student Creativity Program (PKM) Team of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) students tried to design an environmentally friendly electric bicycle called Mecha-Electric Bike (MEL-BIKE)

The creation of the three ITS Physics Department students are expected to be developed as an alternatives vehicle in the future. The three students are Muhammad Rizqi Mubarok (class of 2016), Misbachul Falach (class of 2016), and Pramitha Yuniar (class of 2017).

This brilliant idea also managed to slip to the 2019 32nd National Student Scientific Week (Pimnas) in Bali later. Barok, the familiar name of Muhammad Rizqi Mubarok as the PKM team leader said, they put the idea of MEL-BIKE into PKM Karsa Cipta (PKM-KC). Barok and his team also need to make MEL-BIKE prototype as neat as possible.

According to Barok, he and his team made a hybrid bicycle innovation that could be run with two systems. The combination of mechanical bicycles (pedaling) and electric (motor) through intermediate switching (interchangeable). MEL-BIKE was created not only as an electric bicycle that can be pedaled, but also the results of the pedaled can be an innovative battery charger.

The test trial process of MEL-BIKE system before being installed to electric bicycle by the team.

Then when the rider is tired, Barok continued, it can switch to the electric motor features by being switched to be used as a motorcycle in general. Compared to the MIGO electric bikes, MEL-BIKE has its own advantages. “There is recycled energy that can be utilized again,” explained students from Gresik proudly.

With passengers weighing 60 kilograms, MEL-BIKE can move as fast as 30 kilometers per hour. This bicycle can be charged from empty to full state in approximately 37 hours. But no need to worry, the MEL-BIKE motor battery can also be charged through the charger port to the socket. Besides that, this electric bike also provides a USB charger. “So when driving, passengers can charge the phone easily,” he said enthusiastically.

As for the prototype itself, Barok and his team have covered the existing electrical components. Furthermore, the Barok team was optimistic to be able to use MEL-BIKE in their lectures at ITS later. “Up to the future later, it can be used by the community as well,” he hopes.

MEL-BIKE PKM Team with their supervisor, Drs Bachtera Indarto MSi.

PKM Team guided by Drs Bachtera Indarto MSi was inspired by the pollution condition in Indonesia, especially Jakarta, which currently has been named as one of the worst air polluted city in the world. Barok does not want that all of Indonesia areas have the same fate. “From that point, the communities and governments should start to seriously switch to using environmentally friendly fuel vehicles like our MEL-BIKE,” he said steadily. (dik/owi/gayatri/ITS Public Relation)