KKDU Plum Bike Trailer and Rack

Posted on September 8, 2016 by charlwood

Stack it, Pack it, Bike it, Love it! Thats the motto for Melbourne based startup KKDU Plum, and their first product certainly lives up to it.

Founders Astrid and Haydn Sharratt approached Charlwood Design in 2014 and engaged us to help develop a their new bike trailer. The brief was to develop a trailer that could not only haul all your “stuff”, but also double up as a fully functional shopping trolley- one that was easy and comfortable to push or pull around.

The end result is a smart system made up of two key devices- the trailer and the rack. The trailer consists of an upper and lower tub for holding anything and everything, traditionally formed tubular frame, fully adustable handle that doubles as a hitch point for towing, and a fold-away third wheel to convert it from trailer to trolley in a matter of seconds. The rack, stunningly finished in bright chrome, is designed to fit most bikes. It is also the mounting point for the quick release uni joint hitch- an incredibly simple to use design that allows the trailer to be removed from the bike effortlessly.

For more information on this product check out the KKDU Plum website here.

Additionally, you can read more on our design process over at our blog, here.

‘Vestri’ Bicycle Rental System

Posted on March 22, 2013 by charlwood

The Vestri bike system concept is inspired by the environment & uses wind power to sustain itself. Rental stations with vertical turbines are installed in the city. The Stations can generate power, lock bikes & transmit to a command centre. Users insert a credit card or a vestri card & borrow the unique bicycle. They can pre-book online, via sms or on the train. They can return it to a rental station with incentives in place such as credit towards a meal or a train ticket home to distribute bikes to high use areas. Since the turbines are not “on the grid” the stations can be relocated based on demand.

The Vestri Bike is friendly, elegant and practical. It is designed for low cost and easy maintenance with a rotationally moulded polypropylene body, shaft drive and ergonomic proportions for both men and women. The seat height is easily adjusted with a spring loaded clip. The tyres are injected with urethane to withstand punctures. The body also has a pannier rack integrated into the design for the users bag to be fastened to.For information available: download PDF.

Bus & Truck in-vehicle LCD Computer System

Posted on March 19, 2013 by charlwood

Our client required a touchscreen housing system that was robust for harsh environments such as mines and transport. Charlwood Design developed a fanless design using injection-moulded Polycarbonate, which resulted in a low tooling cost.

High Performance Disk Brakes

Posted on March 19, 2013 by charlwood

Charlwood designs’ services resulted in our client successfully winning the tender for the Audi S4 disc brake beating the competition on design, price and performance. We have also designed a high performance six pot disc brake for Corvette. The result was a stylish design that did not impinge on the performance or weight of the brake caliper.

RV Alarm System

Posted on February 19, 2013 by charlwood

High-end modular alarm system for North American motor home market. All components are wireless and battery powered. Our design successfully addressed key requirements with a simple user interface and the ability to retrofit.

F1 Driver’s Helmet

Posted on January 22, 2013 by charlwood

Charlwood design was invited to create and exhibit a future concept for a Formula 1 drivers helmet. The concept uses a number of cameras which then display the image inside the carbon fibre encased helmet.

Truck Hoist

Posted on January 21, 2013 by charlwood

Design and engineering for an electronic hoisting system for truck trailer landing legs. Charlwood worked on the total development of the product, from concept through to engineering the final diecast components.