A human powered vehicle (HPV) is a vehicle powered solely by human muscular effort. The most common HPVs are rowing boats and bicycles, but many other kinds of vehicles have used human power, including submarines, aircraft, hovercraft and kinetic sculpture vehicles.

Human powered aircraft must be capable of powered takeoffs: this excludes gliders. Perhaps the most well-known human powered plane is the Gossamer Albatross, which flew across the English Channel in 1976.

Recumbent bicycles are the fastest human powered vehicles: as of 2004, Sam Whittingham holds the record, having cycled for 200 m at 81.00 mph (130.36 km/h).

See also

• International Human Powered Vehicle Association

External links

• The Kinetic Sculpture race
• The BARTMOBILE - a Kinetic Sculpture Race Machine