Showing posts with label enicycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label enicycle. Show all posts

Monday, August 24, 2009

Single Wheeled Version of The Segway

No to be out done, an Slovenian inventor Aleksander Polutnik, has come up with the Enicycle - a single wheeled Segway. And very much like the Segway it relies on multiple gyroscopes and a computer to balance (makes 100 adjustments every minute) as well as the lean forward/backward for movement. Steering, on the other hand, is hands-free and relies on the rider to 'push' the foot rests in the appropriate direction - similar to how the lean steer works in the i2 and x2 Segway models.

The current prototype has the following specifications:
- 15 km/h max speed
- 30 km range on a single charge
- 5 hours recharge time
- and weighs 28 kg

But will it surpass the Segway? At the moment there have been only 2 made so far, initially designed so that the inventor could keep up with his unicycling partner. And unlike the Segway it appears to be easier to fall off from! 8-) No costs have been published yet and real production has yet to begin. Like all new ideas and technology, public acceptance will initially be an upward battle - but then, over time it too may be accepted and wide spread.

Video Link