technabob » transportation

cool rider: like a segway, but not really

technabob — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:52:43 +0000

Lately, we’ve been running into lots of unusual personal transportation vehicles. The Cool Rider is just the latest attempt to dethrone the venerable Segway from the top of the single-person transporter heap.

The Cool Rider isn’t quite as schmancy as a Segway, but it still looks like a fun way to get around. The vehicle features a powerful single-wheel drive system that can pull you along the streets at a zippy clip.

The battery-powered motor can hit a top speed of 12 mph, and can run for about an hour per charge. The battery pack is removable too, and plugs into any wall outlet. The other unique thing about the Cool Rider is that you can detach the standing sled from the back and just use it to pull you on your skates or rollerblades.

While the $1250 (USD) retail price isn’t exactly pocket change, the Cool Rider does sell for about 1/4 the price of a Segway. Sold? Then head on over to Opulent Items and plunk down your credit card. While you mull it over, why not watch this Cool Rider video clip…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Gotcha.

BTW, Did you notice that none of the people in the photos are wearing a helmet or knee pads? I don’t know about you, but the whole thing looks just a little bit dangerous to me. I’d have to bet these things aren’t street-legal anywhere around here.

[via 7Gadgets]

yikebike: the sitting man’s segway

technabob — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:28:41 +0000

The YikeBike is a new electric transport vehicle coming from New Zealand. The compact personal transporter features an innovative design that can speed you along through city streets and country roads without ever requiring you to stand up.

The sit-down electric YikeBike tops out at 20km/hr (appx. 12 MPH). An electric chainless drive powers the bike up to 10 kilometers (appx. 6 miles) on a quick 30 minute charge. While that’s not a ton of range, it’s certainly enough for most urban commuters to get to and from work. It’s also great for short haul travel from public transportation sites like trains and buses.

And thanks to an innovative lightweight folding carbon composite frame, you can carry the YikeBike up to your office during the day for a recharge (and to protect it from theft on the street). The whole thing weighs just 9.8 kg (appx. 21 lbs.) which means it won’t break your back carrying it around either.

If you can get past the annoying song in this commercial, the YikeBike actually looks pretty cool…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Here’s a better (and far less irritating) video that shows off the YikeBike being put through its paces on a variety of challenging terrains. It’s surprisingly agile, given its unassuming looks.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Expect the YikeBike to start shipping sometime in 2010. Final pricing hasn’t been set yet, but it’s likely to run between €3500 and €3900 (appx. $5180 to $5772 USD). You can reserve one now with a €100 (appx. $148 USD) deposit here.

rodem next-gen wheelchair doesn’t look like a wheelchair at all

lambert v. — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:30:25 +0000

Gundam fans! Veda (Vader?) is real! And it’s in Japan of course. Fortunately the Veda International Robot Research and Development Centre isn’t out to control or enslave humanity. It’s a joint project by robotics company Tmsuk Co. along with 10 other universities and research institutions. Veda’s first project is 0 Raiser. No wait it’s Rodem – a not-wheelchair that looks like the front half of a huge motorcycle.

The scientists who are developing Rodem want to make the people who use wheelchairs more independent. As high tech as this not-wheelchair looks, it’s shape was dictated mostly by common sense. The half-motorcycle setup makes it easier for users to get on or off the Rodem. It also “promises greater mobility”, though I don’t suppose it’ll zip the elderly around at motorcycle speeds. It’s not visible in the pictures, but according to Physorg, users will steer the Rodem using a joystick instead of the handlebars.

Right now Rodem isn’t much of a robot, but the people at Veda still want to add more features to the not-wheelchair; for example, Tmsuk president Yoichi Takamoto said, “…we could add a new function so it comes to your bedside when you call.” That’s a helpful and robotic feature, Takamoto-sensei. My only concern about the Rodem is it’s lack of a backrest, which means that users won’t be able to take a nap while riding it. My other concern is that it’s not a wheelchair, so people shouldn’t be calling it a wheelchair. It’s a wheelsaddle is what it is.

[via DVICE]

brown energy: buses in oslo to be fueled by methane fermented from human waste

lambert v. — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:30:40 +0000

Did you know that a year’s worth of human excrement is equivalent to 2.1 gallons of diesel? Well it is. So says Ole Jakob Johansen, an officer at Oslo, Norway’s city hall. And Johansen isn’t just spouting random, disgusting trivia: in 2010 Norway’s capital will start rolling out buses fueled with methane, which in turn will be extracted from sewage. Obviously 2.1 gallons of diesel a year is an insignificant amount, but if you consider the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of people pooping in big cities everyday, you will most likely vomit a little in your mouth. And then you’ll start to see that the Norwegians are on to something here.

For example, Johansen explains, if we multiplied the 2.1 gallons of fuel by 250,000 people, then the resulting amount would be “enough to operate 80 buses for 100,000 kilometres (62,000 miles) each.” The Agence France Presse article that talked about Oslo’s plan also adds: “In addition to being carbon neutral, it (biomethane) emits 78 percent less nitrogen oxide and 98 percent fewer fine particles — two causes of respiratory illnesses — and is 92 percent less noisy.” Producing biomethane from sewage is also cheaper than buying plain old diesel. But the project isn’t perfect: Anne-Merete Andersen of Ruter, the operator of Oslo’s public transport system, says that all in all the project will be 15% more expensive because of the cost of the new buses and their maintenance. Personally I think it’s worth it in the long run; having readily available biomethane will lessen Oslo’s dependency on fossil fuels and will lead to decreased pollution.

Will other cities emulate Oslo’s plans? Will pooping become a civic duty in the future? Is it appropriate to call poop power “clean energy”? Food for thought. Not really.

[via Slate]

scarpar: the anywhere board

lambert v. — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:50:27 +0000

The people behind Scarpar wanted to “extend the snowboard season” which they say is quite brief in Australia. Some say that the skateboard was made so that surfers could still surf even if waves were flat. Will Scarpar be the next step in boarding?

The Scarpar runs on two tracks and is powered by a four stroke engine. The board that you see above and in the video below is a prototype, so expect the design to change when – and if – the product is released. Braking and acceleration are controlled by hand. I’m no engineer but I think that’s where things might go horribly wrong. Skis, surfboards and skateboards are more or less directly controlled by our bodies; for a board that can go as fast as 35 mph (60 kph), a controller malfunction – or mistakenly activating accelerate instead of brake – will probably lead to some serious injuries. Unless of course the controls are intuitive; like grip the controller tight to accelerate and relax to brake.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Scarpar Pty Ltd originally planned on releasing their board this year, but due to financial constraints – in their words:”Blame Wall Street!” – they had to move the release date to 2010. While I’m content with watching other people perform extreme sports, I think the efforts of the people behind Scarpar will lead to more user-friendly all-terrain pedestrian transports. So to all inventors and engineers out there: these guys are onto something! Forget the Segway, work on the Scarpar!

[via Gadget Grid]

smart speed bump rewards good driving

lambert v. — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:30:51 +0000

A pair of designers, Jae-yun Kim & Jong-Su Lee, have come up with a speed bump that actually knows and rewards you if you’re obeying speed limits. Vehicles who just gun it upon driving over the speed bump will encounter a normal speed bump, but those who do slow down to below 30 km/h (about 19 mi/h) will be given milk & cookies and a pat on the back. No actually the speed bump will flatten, i.e. disappear, for vehicles who have already reduced their speed.

Since it’s more than just a lump of concrete with black and yellow paint, this smart speed bump will surely be more expensive. But personally I think it’s worth it. Even if it doesn’t give pats on the back. Not only will this device motivate people to drive safely, it will also lead to less road accidents, especially in places where it rains or snows a lot.

[via coolest gadgets]

capsule train will let you ride in a mini fortress of solitude

karen m. — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:30:58 +0000

This “capsule train” concept will give each person their own little train compartment fiefdom to rule on their way to work. Their are individual capsules that fit one person, or larger 4-person capsules.

The concept was designed by Hamit Kanuni Kuralkan from Melbourne, Australia. There’s no word as to whether or not this thing will ever get made.

Check out this video for a 360 degree view, which maddeningly only shows the outside of this concept train (which I deem to be pretty much super lame because the whole capsule thing is all about the inside of the train.)

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While I appreciate innovation, it looks pretty claustrophobic to me, and could only be viable for shorter journeys since obviously you wouldn’t be able to get to the bathroom or the snack car. And who doesn’t love an early morning power breakfast of Cheetos and weak coffee from the snack car?

[via Dvice]

desktop boat speaker: come sail away

technabob — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:31:26 +0000

Here’s a speaker for your computer that’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. The Nexspeaker FS-701SW sound system is designed to look like a wee sailboat that you can set on your desk.

Left and right channel speakers are embedded into the sails, while the boat’s hull serves as the woofer. The sails are rated at 7.5-watts each, while the woofer can pump out 15-watts. I think it would look great sitting next to the USB airplane fan, to help round out your desktop transportation museum.

Since the Nexspeaker is currently only available in Korea, you might need take a taxi to a plane to a train to get this boat in your hands. It’s available from eShopworld for 52,000 KRW (appx. $57 USD).

[via Thoughts From The Sidelines]

magicwheel: 20 mph on a single wheel

technabob — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:46:37 +0000

This dramatic looking mode of transportation is said to be the modern day replacement for the skateboard.

Using a single large bicycle (or I guess that would be unicycle) wheel in front and a smaller caster in the rear for steering, it lets you achieve speeds up to 20 miles per hour, simply using your own leg strength to kick off.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

According to the inventor of the wheel (I always wanted to say that,) its designed as an alternative to skateboards, scooters and roller blades, and is a great way to get around quickly. While it takes a bit of getting used to balancing on the wheel, it’s supposed to take just a couple of hours to get the hang of it.

Magic Wheel is accepting pre-orders now for £119 (appx. $245 USD plus shipping.) They expect to start shipping a fresh batch of them this August.

[via Telegraph via Spluch]

rolling treadmill speeds you down the street

technabob — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 03:46:38 +0000

The guys over at dutch design firm OOOMS are best known for their wooden memory sticks, but here’s another interesting contraption that they also are responsible for.

Looking like a treadmill on wheels, the Speedy Rollator uses a special gear drive system to multiply your walking efforts and increase your pace.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While you won’t look quite as cool as those hipsters tooling around on their Segways, you might end up getting there just as quickly.

[thanks for the tip, roadside scholar!]

sony to compete with segway?

technabob — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 18:58:36 +0000

A recently filed patent application from Sony shows that they are working on a technology that is similar to that in the ubiquitous (and superfluous) Segway Human Transporter.

The patent abstract, titled “Vehicle steerable by movement of center of gravity” describes the invention as follows:

…a vehicle which can travel in the front and back direction and which can turn by right and left wheels rotated when a rider riding on a step-board moves the position of rider’s balance from the center of a vehicle base. A vehicle which can be steered based on movement of balance… it is possible for the rider to run the vehicle in the front and back direction and to turn the vehicle in the left and right direction by only moving rider’s weight.

What’s interesting is that the design might be applicable to other types of transport such as skateboards and roller skates with more than 2 wheels, versus the standing 2-wheel platform design of the Segway. Such a design could potentially open up a broader market for such transportation devices, assuming they could be produced at a lower cost than that of the Segway.

Keep in mind that that inventions are frequently submitted for patent, yet never produced, so I wouldn’t be sure that we’ll see any Sony transportation products out on the road any time soon.

[via NewScientistTech via gizmag]