This motorized exoskeleton concept looks like the lovechild of Ironman and a Segway—but is it the future of transportation?
Posted 05.29.2008 at 4:05 pm
15 Comments
Deus Ex Machina
Jake Loniak
The tripod is a fine and stable construct for photography and navigation, but how well will it work for motorcycles? We're not sure,
but one student at California's Art Center Pasadena is challenging singletrack motorcycles and typical three-wheelers with an anthropomorphic, Yamaha-branded three wheeler concept called the Deus Ex Machina.
The forward-looking personal conveyance is a mobile exoskeleton propelled by in-wheel electric motors—or, more succinctly, a trike you can wear.
The machine's motors get their juice from a hybrid power pack of doped Nanophosphate batteries and ultracapacitors. It's straight from the imagination of Jake Loniak, who foresees acceleration of zero to sixty in three seconds and a top speed of 75 mph. It also has seven artificial vertebrae, 36 pneumatically activated "muscles" and an attached helmet, just the thought of which gives us a phantom neck ache.
[via Hell for Leather]
Want to keep track of the latest concept cars, automotive innovations, and more? Subscribe to Popular Science and enter to win $5,000!
15 Comments
To comment, please Login.
Popular Tags
Cars on Popular Science
Regular Features
Download Our iPhone App
Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone with full articles, images and offline viewing
Follow Us On Twitter
Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed
Become a Fan On Facebook
Share links with friends, comment on stories and more
December 2009: Best of What's New
In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.
Check out the best of what's new here.
Popular Science Photo Pool
Popular on Popsci
Most Viewed
Most Commented
Today on PopSci.com
Copyright © 2009 Popular Science
A Bonnier Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
from piscataway, NJ
isn't this what the segway said it was going to be?
from houston, texas
it sounds like a good idea, i like it but do not like the attatched helmet idea, in the event of an accident your head cant leave??
from Austin, TX
This is just the prototype. The production model will look like a motorcycle with three wheels and maybe some interesting lines.
Time flies like the wind,
Fruit flies like bananas.
This is very cool, but I don't see the usefulness of this in it's current configuration.
It's too wide to navigate sidewalks, too aerodynamically inefficient (and potentially dangerous depending on ease of embarking/disembarking) for the highway.
this looks cool, but it looks like you stand up the whole time while you ride it. It probably won't be to bad for a short trip in town, but that has got to be uncomfortable on a distance trip.
would it be stable at speeds faster than maybe 15-20 mph?
You don't ride standing up. It's only in standing position when you're getting in/out. The front wheels pitch forward, while the back wheel extends back when you're riding, putting the rider nearly parallel to the ground.
It's not meant for sidewalks like Segways either. This would be a zero-emissions speed demon, if the concept turns out like it should, mind you. Not very fast on top speed but 0-60 in three seconds?
Also, the helmet is pneumatically attached, should you go flying off in an accident, I'm sure the helmet would be leaving with you.
More at Gizmodo...
In answer to the question posed in the headline: No. No, it is not. If it is the future of anything, it is the future of eye-rolling and giggling.
I dunno, I certainly wouldnt want to hit a pole head on in that thing. LOL. I think I'll stick with me Harley.
JJ
http://www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
The concept is an identical version of the guy Jean-Yves Blondeau buggy rollin concept except this version is supplied with Pneumatic artificial muscles and has an external power souce to use for propultion.
http://www.buggy-rollin.com/#
Looks very cool and futuristic,if it can actually be safe from a hard crash or accident!Looks pretty weak but it does seem tempting.Seems slow aswell, should not get attached helmet.Overall...NO WAY!
They probably only have the helmet attached as a safety feature so you HAVE to wear one when you ride it.
Yamaha will rue the day they market this thing. If someone met up with other bikers at a coffee shop, scooter riders would thump the rider out.
They could start a motorcycle club up with its own website.
www.abomination.com
They probably only have the helmet attached as a safety feature so you HAVE to wear one when you ride it.
http://www.hedefnakliyat.com
This is very cool, but I don't see the usefulness of this in it's current configuration. I think so. and modeling is a little exaggerated, wear such on the sidewalk, will not be surprised http://www.firmoo.com/