Satellite & Cellular Internet on a Bicycle

One of the most fun parts of this whole adventure was what came after the years of development and pedaling… being invited to conferences and trade shows to mingle with the folks who built the industry. This one was stellar, and brought together the team who invented my bicycle-mobile Internet system. The photo above shows BEHEMOTH on the show floor.

The Interoperability Nomad session (G35) at Interop 1992, chaired by Steven K. Roberts

We were fortunate to have a cassette recording of the full session, complete with the most detailed explanation available about my bike’s satellite/cellular communication system. In 1992, this was a very radical piece of technology… and the geek banter is a delight. The first 40 minutes is a technical presentation by John Noerenberg from Qualcomm, David Harris from Telebit, Karl Fox from Morning Star, and Steven Roberts from Nomadic Research Labs… then the final half is Interop audience Q&A. In addition to the presenters who jointly developed this system, thanks go to Geoff Baehr of Sun Microsystems for the computer that was dedicated to the bike communication link.

The bike also appeared at Spring Interop ’92 in Washington DC.

Riding BEHEMOTH through Moscone Center during Interop 92, with John Noerenberg of Qualcomm (who was responsible for the OmniTRACS email integration described in the audio program above.

High-Tech Nomad and BEHEMOTH

Interop ’92 Program

Stop by and meet self-proclaimed, high-tech nomad Steve Roberts and discover first-hand the capabilities of his custom recumbent bicycle with built-in computing and communications capabilities. Designed to satisfy Roberts’ obsessions with bicycling, adventure, computer design, networking and ham radio, the 105-speed BEHEMOTH is powered by solar energy and man. Equipped with computers, microprocessors, on-board computer network, cellular phone with modem and fax, satellite communications, ham radio, heads-up display, handlebar keyboard, speech synthesizer, security system and stereo, BEHEMOTH is completely self contained and has transported Roberts over 16,000 adventurous miles around North America. Don’t miss the opportunity to get a glimpse of his pioneering way of life and discover how current information and communication technology offers startling possibilities for alternative working environments and personal lifestyles. The BEHEMOTH will be on display during the INTEROP 92 Fall Exhibition. For more information — See Global INTEROP Session G35 on page 176.

Opening the SPARCstation in Zero enclosure behind the seat of BEHEMOTH at Interop Fall ’92 in San Francisco
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