After successfully inventing the first water bicycle, that set the internet on a frenzy, young Ghanaian inventor, Frank Darko, has come out with an improved version of his invention. He named it Trifad.
The latest advancement of his creation after the prototype, is much easier to use since it has a propeller. He has gradually worked on the updates and he believes his add-ons would go a long way to help children between the ages of 5 to 15 years.
Darko exclusively disclosed that the inspiration for the water bike came from a documentary he watched on how school-going children had to swim across water bodies before getting to school.
In a report by naija.ng, the young inventor received a national award for his invention on February 22, which has come to be known at the Ghana Institute of Engineers during the 2018 Engineering Excellence Awards at the Academy of Health and Sciences. According to the Institute, Darko was considered for the award due to his innovation in the field of engineering substantial contribution to the promotion of engineering practice and innovation despite not been a trained engineer.
In addition to the national award, Frank has been offered to full scholarships by the Takoradi Technical University to come back and finish his course in Graphic Designing and take up another course in Engineering.
According to risingafrica.org, Frank Darko was inspired after witnessing the devastating effects of flooding in his hometown, especially how school children become stranded and cannot cross the rivers through conventional boats to get to school, he decided to help find a solution that would enable the children go to school no matter the weather condition. This is how the floating bicycle was conceived.
The water bicycle consists of the basic structure of a bicycle fitted with a rotating motor. The wheels of this floating bicycle has been replaced with floating wood, the type used for boats. All these spare parts are easily accessible in Ghana and other third world countries. This has made his invention practical and sustainable.
