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View Full Version : Another interesting toy



MOP
01-25-2011, 02:50 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=cuIJRsAuCHQ

jstrahn
01-25-2011, 03:04 PM
That is pretty incredible. I would the the technology has to be similar to the segway but in a much more compact design.

I just don't want to be on it when the accelerometer goes wacky and you fall on your butt. :)

hardcrab
01-25-2011, 03:08 PM
All the MVA employees will get 'em first

Ghost
01-25-2011, 03:26 PM
3 words:

1. incredible
2. broken
3. toes

zelatore
01-25-2011, 06:27 PM
3 words:

1. incredible
2. broken
3. toes

No kidding - one little snag and under she goes!

I think that rig is about 3 years old. Honda hosts a regular engineering competition among it's staff to come up with interesting new stuff like this. It's really cool technology, I particularly like the wheels on a wheel idea that lets it move sideways, but short of people with serious disabilities it's pretty much worthless as a practical application.

Also, while it works well with those nice little 115 lb girls, how would it do with a big 'ol corn-fed 300 lb 'disabled' 'murican girl who just wants to get around in Wal-mart? And will they put a cup holder on it to hold her super-sized diet coke?

gcarter
01-25-2011, 07:23 PM
If you look at the compound wheel idea animation carefully, you'll see the wheel is capable of "crabbing" or going off at a diagonal.....in fact that seems to be the normal motion when that feature is in use.
Yes, it's for perfectly smooth floors, but there's no reason it couldn't be scaled up.

Did anyone ever see the balancing wheel chair from the developer of the Segway?????
Fascinating machine!!
It was capable of climbing stairs and other obstacles plus raising up 2'-3'.

zelatore
01-25-2011, 08:34 PM
Speaking of interesting wheels, are you familiar with the 'twheel'?

http://www.geek24.com/g/twheel-airless-wheel-technology-from-michelin

I think that's the chair George was talking about in the video. But I'm more interested to know what the quad-thing doing wheelies is.

gcarter
01-25-2011, 08:58 PM
Yep, that's the chair, it;s a neat machine.
These wheels remind me of the wheels GM developed for the Lunar Rover. I'm sure everyone remembers seeing pictures of them. The wheels were a matrix of wires...kinda like the cord structure of a bias ply tire.

DannyK
01-25-2011, 10:22 PM
I'd rather ride the little blonde !

Ghost
01-26-2011, 01:58 AM
I'd rather ride the little blonde !

LOL, having just watched Animal House for the who-knows-how-manyeth time the other day, I had a similar thought. When she started pulling out the pedals and seat parts, I could only think of Otter and Boone:

Otter: "What's the matter?"

Boone: "It's my girlfriend. She doesn't take me seriously."

Otter: <pulls enormous dildo out of black medical bag> "Try this. She'll take this seriously."