“The Journal of Emergency Medical Services’ 200-city survey reported that more than 300 bike medic teams were in operation across the US and that 52% of EMS agencies in the nation’s largest 200 cities had established EMS bike teams.” - IPMBA
Team
Amiti Aunmozhi
Ben Jungblut
Bryce Kelly
Isa Blair
Parker Oelrich
Why Pulse?
Pulse is recognizable and bold, demanding authority in crowded environments
Step-through frame supports physical demands and quick actions
A lower angle of attack allows smoother travel for rough terrain.
Improves stability by lowering the center of gravity and allows quicker acceleration through faster torque generation.
Cargo snaps into place and stays on due to slanted rail system
Cargo can also be accessed while on the bike
360 degree lighting system for greater visibility and safety
Abstract
Large public events—festivals, races, concerts, and sporting gatherings—legally require on-site EMS support once attendance exceeds 500 people. These environments are dense, unpredictable, and often difficult to navigate quickly, making fast medical response essential yet challenging.
To work around limited vehicle access, EMS teams have increasingly turned to bicycles for rapid response. However, current EMS bike setups are adaptations of standard bicycles, not purpose-built tools. Equipment is often carried in belts, vests, and backpacks, creating balance and weight-distribution issues. Critical gear can be slow to access while riding, and bikes lack the communication, visibility, and locator technology integrated into traditional emergency vehicles.
This project focuses on designing a dedicated EMS response bicycle that integrates storage, technology, and ergonomics from the ground up—ensuring responders have the tools, stability, and mobility needed to deliver care effectively in large, crowded environments.
Project Brief
Design an innovative, future-ready bicycle for a specific user group by researching their needs, challenges, and behaviors, then creating a systems-driven solution that meaningfully improves their commuting or work experience. The project focuses on using user insights to solve real problems through thoughtful integration and purposeful design.
Scope: 12 weeks (Spring 2025 Studio)
Research
Before identifying a specific user group, we needed to understand how people interact with bikes in the real world. Bikes serve commuters, recreational riders, delivery workers, and many niche groups, each with different needs, constraints, and values, so studying these everyday interactions in context was essential to uncover meaningful pain points and identify opportunities for innovation.
To uncover both conscious and subconscious user behaviors, we used a broad research toolkit:
Methods for Initial Findings
We decided to shift our focus to EMS as a user group to focus on because they depend on bikes as critical tools, not conveniences.
Ethnographic Research at Grady EMS
We spent a full day at the Grady Hospital EMS hub in Atlanta conducting ethnographic interviews and observing EMTs and paramedics in their real work environment. Without medical backgrounds, we focused on understanding the urgency, constraints, and pressures of their work—particularly how bikes are used during emergency response.
We focused on uncovering:
How EMS respond when ambulances can’t reach patients?
What equipment is essential?
How bike response actually usually functions?
Frustrations in dense environment
A bike isn’t just a vehicle—it’s an adaptable response tool.
First Responders.
3 hours of observational research on the Atlanta Beltline to understand behaviors riders don’t verbalize
47 survey responses to identify quantitative patterns
19 interviews to capture personal motivations and frustrations
1 hour of first-person research so we could understand riding bikes on the beltline first-hand
Supporting methods: mind mapping, personas, journey mapping, market/trend/tech research, and contextual analysis
Together, these methods helped us see what people say, what they do, and what they value—three things that rarely align perfectly.
After organizing and analyzing our research across user types, bike technologies, contexts of use, and rider values, we identified a clear but often overlooked user group: cyclists who rely on their bikes not just for commuting, but for performance, safety, and rapid response in demanding environments:
Although EMS bikes are used more often than expected, they remain an improvised solution rather than a purpose-built tool.
In crowded events, responders constantly switch between riding, weaving, hopping off, running, carrying gear, and treating patients. A functional EMS bike must support movement and care.
Ideation
Design Criteria
Include Existing EMS Equipment
Reduce Physical & Cognitive Strain
Increase Identification + Visibility
Step-through frame
Allows fast, stable mounting and dismounting when responders need quick transitions.
Key Design Decisions
Asymmetric wheel sizing (two different wheel sizes)
Improves maneuverability in unknown terrain while maintaining stability when carrying loaded equipment.
Sketches by Isa BlairIntegrated device mounts
Securely mounts devices accessible at a glance, enabling hands-free navigation, dispatch updates, and communication without interrupting response flow.
360° lighting and identification
Full perimeter visibility ensures responders can be seen and recognized from all angles, improving crowd navigation and signaling urgency without relying on sirens alone.
Optimized Storage System
A balanced, centrally distributed layout combined with a slanted clip-and-rail mechanism allows medical gear to slide off quickly during emergencies while maintaining stability. This reduces handling strain and improves control and rider confidence in high-pressure situations.
Sketches by Isa Blair
Sketches by Isa Blair
