ECOPEDAL

EcoPedal is an innovative and ecological product – it consists in an eco- friendly and state-of-the-art pedal boat which tries to respond to a major problem of the Present: water pollution. Our product combines two activities – leisure and water pollution fighting – hence potentiating a new type of emergent tourism – ecotourism or nature tourism. According to EMBRATUR – Brazilian Institute of Tourism – nature tourism is a segment of touristic activity that uses, in a sustainable way, the cultural and natural patrimony, contributing to its conservation, whilst stimulating an environmental consciousness, encouraging the populations well-being. Our product possesses elements that allow water pollution fighting: a rear back filter whose length is wider that the boat itself, in order to insure a full picking of the involute garbage, three garbage disposals (garbage separation is entirely up to the user) and two cleaning cables alongside the boat. These cables are equipped with a porous net that allow the user to pick up the garbage accumulating in the river margins and other locations whose access may be difficult by the involving environment (rocks, as an example). Besides the environmental, ecological and naturalistic strands, there is also a leisure side. The users also want to have a great time, and for that, we provide the usual pedal boat system where, thanks to the movement of pedals, a belt transmits movement to the paddles, located at the back of the boat, propelling it. There is also a mechanism attached to the ceiling which allows the users to refresh themselves: by moving a hand crank, the movement is transmitted to a fan by a set of gears. The logo is inspired by natural elements, such as the sun, the sky and the ocean, hence linking it to its environmental purpose. The lettering was constructed on a seagull as an analogy to the product (in Portuguese, a pedal boat is known and commonly referred as a seagull).