Now I’m pretty sure that the whole Segway fad is over, but it looks like others have different ideas in mind. While this unusual horse-like vehicle looks interesting on paper, I’ve got trouble looking at it and thinking about transportation.
Designed by Erik Lanuza, the Taurus is supposed to be the Segway of the future, replacing cars and motorcycles as transportation in the inner city. One thing is for sure: from the looks of the photo above, the future will be sexy.
Honestly, it makes me think more of some kind of kinky sex-horse than anything else. What do you think?
I thought the Honda U3-X was weird, but this personal mobility device prototype by Nissan and AIST actually separates into a whacked out pair of motorized skis on stilts. With its unstable seeming controls, I think I'll stick to walking.
When the the device is in one piece, you can control turns by shifting your weight, but when the sides are split up you're supposed to lift your feet and step around as if truly on stilts. Great, everything already look unstable and you want me to lift a foot without a nice soft pile of snow to fall face-first into?
Thankfully, neither Nissan nor the National Advanced Institute of Science and Technology appear to be in any rush to actually market this thing.
[Gizmodo via Plastic Pals via Engadget]
I'm sure you are all well acquainted with the crazy quadrupled BigDog robot, but if it had a master to walk with, it would probably look something like the Petman.
Actually, the similarity is not surprising considering that the walking robot was designed by Boston Dynamics—the same company behind BigDog. Petman has been in development for some time now, but this is the first chance we have had to view his human-like stride. The military plans on using it to test out protective clothing for soliders that need to be completely protective and not strain or open up under any sort of human articulated movement. It's capable of crawling, as well as walking at 3.2 MPH.
And like the Big Dog, it can keep its balance when you shove it.
[Gizmodo via Danger Room]
of the future, replacing cars and motorcycles as transportation in the inner city. One thing is for sure: from the looks of the photo above, the future will be sexy.
