Category: Personal Transportation

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Personal Transportation

Walk Wing gives you wheels while you trudge through your commute

In malls across America, kids are joyously sliding around at any opportunity using the Heelys at their feet. Any self-respecting adult wouldn’t dare strap a pair up, though, even if it means ignoring the obvious comfort and utility they would provide during daily commutes. While all sorts of choices exist for speedier commutes, people still want the versatility of being able to walk without lugging around an entire bike, for instance. This is where the Walk Wing comes in.

The Walk Wing are essentially Heelys for adults, featuring four retractable wheels: two up front and two in the back. Its ability to switch between the two modes gives people the option to take a walk if they want to or speed up if they’re in a hurry. An adjustable ankle and heel strap makes it simple to slip on, and multiple wheel caps in different colors and patterns let users personalize their set however they see fit.

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Personal Transportation

URBY Board motion board takes on irregular terrain, uphill battles

The Segway got a lot of things wrong, but it also got a few things right. These included the development of more rugged models for navigating more challenging grounds. In the past few years, we’ve seen a whole host of two-wheeled gliding platform scooters or balance boards that cost a tenth of what Segways do but many of them can’t veer far from paved level surfaces.

The URBY Board seeks to up the ante on the kind of environments for these two-wheeled self-balancing wonders with a balance board that has a bit more horsepower and bigger wheels (10″ vs. the standard 6.5″) as well as LED-based turn signals. The campaign video shows it taking on grass, ramps, the rain, pushing shopping cards and pulling luggage.

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Personal Transportation

Ginzvelo pedal/electric hybrid vehicle gets you around town

Crowdfunding sites have seen plenty of bikes and bike accessories, e-bikes and even folding bikes. But while two-wheelers are often great for navigating the urban jungle, their open air nature can make using them in poor weather impractical, dangerous or — at the very least — messy.

Ginzvelo (rhymes with “Pins fellow”) is an enclosed recumbent three-wheeler that can be powered via pedals or electric motor under which it can achieve speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. The vehicle provides a transparent bubble-like roof/windshield and the whole exterior lifts up on a rear hinge to allow entry and exit.  Peter Ginzburg, for whom the vehicle is presumably named, seeks $50,000 by September 24th. Still in the early stages, Ginzvelo is offering a few early birds the chance to pick up early units for $3,000 without the motor or $6,000 with it. The vehicles should arrive by November.

Ginzvelo is certainly a bit chunkier than a regular bike, but the one-person vehicle, which has a little bit of storage space, is much smaller than a car and can be parked in a wide array of settings. Its enclosure, which adds to its bulk, makes it a far more versatile vehicle than most e-bikes — faster and better-protected. Still, until mass production ramps up, it’s tough to say whether it will be more successful than the Segway or other electric bike alternatives.

 

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Luggage and Bags Personal Transportation

MODOBAG luggage/scooter combo gets you to your gate in a jiffy

Packing light is the cardinal rule when flying, but sometimes that can’t happen. Occasionally, it’s necessary to pack a lot more. In these situations, it just isn’t fun wading through the airport masses with a carry-on and multiple bags to check in.

The MODOBAG attempts to alleviate the situation by providing weighed-down travelers with the option of hopping on and taking it for a ride. The carry-on/scooter combo features a fully motorized 2000 cubic inches of space within a lightweight aluminum chassis weighing in at under 20 pounds that travelers can use to cruise around at a top speed of eight miles per hour, enjoying steady control with a precise steering column.

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Personal Transportation

Portable A-Bike Electric folds small enough for a backpack

While most people are far more comfortable on a bicycle than on anything else, it doesn’t mean most bicycles are suitable for the demands a busy city commute places on someone. Even the lightest bicycles can be ungainly to carry around and a pain to lock up everywhere, making them less than stellar options for getting around quickly.

The A-Bike Electric takes the compact nature of Sir Clive Sinclair’s original idea and supercharges it with a dual chain drive and brushless motor, featuring a 24V battery providing up to 15 miles of assisted pedaling even up hills. Its 26-pound foldable frame uses telescopic design in order to fold up into an extremely portable, place-it-in-a-bookbag form in about 10 seconds, making the A-Bike a worthy alternative to most commute cutting options. An A-Bike can be had for $900 provided its $76,000 campaign sees success by August 13th, 2015. Backers will be able to hop on and ride in October 2015.

The A-Bike Electric is successful at being compact, cleverly designed, and light while still retaining the familiarity with bicycles most people are comfortable with. Being able to take it along on the train or into a coffee shop is a convenience would prefer versus leaving a bicycle unattended outside. The Impossible E-Bike attempted something similar but ultimately never materialized, leaving a huge gap for products like the A-Bike Electric to be successful.

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Personal Transportation

A Segway evolved, RevoBot lets you roll on to wherever

Remember the Segway? It was touted as revolutionizing personal transportation device, but ended up being the preferred ride of Hollywood mall cops. Still, the bulky and expensive device inspired many to come up with something between a bicycle and a car.

RevoBot is a relatively lightweight, single-axle, two-wheeled balancing personal transporter that allows users to travel up to seven miles per hour. The Bluetooth-enabled device can be connected to a smartphone, enabling users to listen to music while traveling. Other features include a Samsung lithium ion battery that takes two hours to charge, along with LED lights for safety in the dark and low-light environments. It is being offered in a choice of five color options. RevoBot will retail for $1,000 and ships in September. Its maker set an Indiegogo campaign goal of raising $20,000 by August 4.

The intelligent body gravity board doesn’t feature any handles, so it could be harder to operate RevoBot than a Segway. But RevoBot’s maker says it’s easy to learn, with the average time for a beginner to get used to it only about 10-15 minutes. Larger drawbacks for some consumers could be the fact that it’s only been tested for users up to 230 pounds, and that it can only travel 10-12 miles on one charge. Of lesser concern is that although it was designed for indoor and outdoor use, its tires weren’t designed to be used on dirt roads. All in all, RevoBot seems like a fun gadget for the well-balanced to possibly save some time dashing through buildings.

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Personal Transportation

Virtue Pedalist combine car and motorcycle, makes Smart cars feel fat

Cars are a costly necessity for many consumers who need a way to travel to and from work each day where there are no public transportation options. In addition to the upfront cost to buy a car, there’s the frequent need to buy fuel that’s bad for the environment and the, hopefully less frequent, need to repair the vehicle.

Virtue Pedalist, the latest vehicle from company Virtue Cycles, combines elements of an electric bicycle, cargo bike, velomobile (bicycle/car combination) and a tadpole tricycle (a recumbent tricycle with two front wheels). It has two front wheels, one rear wheel, and an outer shell that shields the driver from sun, wind and rain. There are three modes of riding it: pure pedaling, pedal assist in which its electric motor multiplies the user’s pedaling power, and electric-only throttle mode.

Although riders can cycle as fast as they want with the first two modes, the throttle-only speed is limited to 20 miles per hour so that it can be legally classified as a tricycle, rather than a moped or scooter, under regulations in California and most other U.S. states, according to its Kickstarter campaign. The Pedalist will cost $4,499 and ship in November. The company is hoping to raise $100,000 by May 21.

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Personal Transportation

Monolith electric longboard updates your grandpappy’s ride, fits all kinds of modern tech

Browse any technology website and it’s easy to see how commonplace alternative modes of transportation are becoming. Most products in this vein marry eco-friendly power with sleek design, a combination which resonates with both urban city dwellers and extreme sports enthusiasts.

The Monolith is one such example. Within the Monolith’s deceptive veneer are electronic components transforming it into a fully functional and electric longboard capable of reaching speeds of 24mph. While there are other electric longboards on the market, most aren’t anywhere close to being as sleek as the Monolith. This is due to the product’s proprietary Manta Drive technology which incorporates the motors right into the wheels themselves. In addition, the product’s water resistant and unibody design weighs only 12lbs. What’s more, there’s enough room to fit in swappable batteries — each with a range of 10 miles. Lights on both the nose and tail round out the board’s design.

Riders can retain control over the Monolith through the RLFX remote, designed with a small joystick which allows riders to control both acceleration and regenerative braking. This also gives riders the ability to open their hands without the control falling out. And when those hands are free, a companion iOS or Android app allows riders to customize Monolith’s speed and acceleration, connect with other riders, and even generate reports on riding sessions. The app also offers different modes of operation which can be specifically tailored to new or experienced riders. There’s also an Eco Mode so that users can get more mileage out of every charge. Each Monolith is currently going for $1,199, with an expected ship date of September 2015. Inboard Sports, the brains behind the product, is looking for $100,000 in funding by April 4.

Products in the same space as Monolith include the Onewheel and the Movpak, but they ultimately end up looking more like gimmicks than serious contenders capable of transforming a user’s everyday transportation experience. The Impossible e-bike offers a similar, compact experience, but the Monolith is ultimately so much more feature rich. Urbanites, commuters of all types, and sports enthusiasts should be on the lookout.

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Personal Transportation

Chop-E silent e-chopper is a mean green machine

The gurgling ignition of a chopper is an iconic sound signifying that low-slung relationship of cool with the road so many people dream of experiencing. In this day and age, though, it also signifies an impressively negative reliance on fossil fuels, a problem many find they can’t support no matter how cool roaring the road may be.

The Chop-E is a chopper-style electric bike that retains all the cool necessary for the ride without the smog that comes along with it. This custom creation is composed of quality, off-the-shelf parts that all come together to create something that demands attention. Its developers are now is looking to manufacture their first run. Chop-E boasts a top speed of 20mph and range of 40 miles on a single charge, claiming to get 329 miles overall from a single dollar. Early birds can grab their own for $4,499, while latecomers will have to spend $5,999. The $100,000 campaign is promising Chop-E in August 2015.

This product is another in a recent series of creations that include the Impossible and the LEAOS continuing to revamp of the electric bike’s image. From obtuse and awkward to sleek and powerful, electric bikes are truly coming into their own. City slickers will no doubt be on the lookout.

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Personal Transportation

AirBoard personal aircraft promises an aerial revolution, puts Back to the Future on notice

The dreams of many people around the world envision a future where travel facilitated by personal hover vehicles is the norm. The most popular example is the hover board from the movie Back to the Future, something people are still patiently waiting for. If the AirBoard becomes a reality, the hover board may be outdated before it even exists.

By taking the idea of a Hiller Flying Machine and modernizing it, the team behind the AirBoard is claiming to have created the world’s smallest manned aircraft. Capable of clearing all sort of terrain with its ground collision detection system, the product is truly the stuff of sci-fi. It sports four rotors underneath to provide altitudes of at least four and a half meters, all in a package that, when opened, is just 71″ by 59″ tall. More impressively, it is three times smaller when closed, measuring a petite 31″ by 43″ tall—small enough to be put into a car’s trunk.

The combination of a powerful, Bluetooth-compatible Intel chip—along with a gyroscope and accelerometer—allows the AirBoard to be connected with a companion smartphone app for additional control, making it easy to pilot even for newbies.

The proposed product is truly unique and will prove revolutionary if the final price is reasonable. But, as impressive as the product seems to be, it’s extremely hard to believe that it will live up to its claims, with its tight production schedule and nary a video showing off at least a prototype. Although many will be rightfully excited by the idea, the campaign is floating on an awful lot of doubt for the time being.

$250 gets backers a priority ticket for the chance to purchase an AirBoard in late 2015, with a price TBD. The campaign is looking for $30,000 by March 21.