Bacon's Rebellion

What Do You Get When You Cross a Segway with a Skateboard?

Jan 9, 2014

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</p> <p>Here comes another example of creativity and innovation from the private sector that politicians, planners and pundits (even clear-eyed, forward-looking pundits such as myself!) could not possibly have foreseen — the Onewheel.</p> <p>Onewheel, whose inventors are trying to raise $100,000 through <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/4422853/onewheel-the-self-balancing-electric-skateboard" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>, is a one-wheeled, self-balancing skateboard-like transportation device. It can reach speeds up to 12 miles per hour and has a range of four to six miles. Weighing 25 pounds, it’s much smaller, lighter and easier to store than a Segway. Placing an order through the Kickstarter campaign will cost you about $1,300.</p> <p><a href="https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/onewheel.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-24164" alt="onewheel" src="https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/onewheel.jpg" width="182" height="403"></a>With such a limited range, the Onewheel is unlikely to create a new transportation mode analogous to bicycles. The inventors are positioning the device in their promotional materials more or less as a fancy toy. There are no guarantees that the novelty will catch on, or that the developers will survive as a business enterprise. And even if people do start buying the thing, despite the images of lithesome young women riding the thing, I don’t see it appealing to many beyond the 18- to 28-year-old male demographic.</p> <p>Still, don’t count out the possibility that the idea of a skateboard-like device continuing to evolve. Larger production volumes could bring the costs down and advances in battery technology could extend the range. Onewheels could provide a mobility option in dense urban environments…. until they cause too many collisions with pedestrians on crowded sidewalk, at least.</p> <p>Transportation technology has entered a period of incredible innovation — the greatest since the invention of the automobile. There’s no telling what’s coming next, or what crazy idea might take off. The more transportation options, the better. We just have to find a way to accommodate these new gadgets in the public realm.</p><div class='code-block code-block-1' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;'> <div id="ld-7288-8825"></div><script>(function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:19200391255058844,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7288-8825"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");</script></div> <p><em>— JAB</em></p> <p>

James A. Bacon smart growth

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3 responses to “What Do You Get When You Cross a Segway with a Skateboard?”

accurate

January 9, 2014

Hmmm, interesting – and I tend to agree, not so sure how far beyond the 16 – 30 male group the interest will extend. A couple other questions – how quickly will it stop, if you are flying down the road at 12 mph, how long does it take to stop. Second, how does it react on hills? I mean, it’s a motor, you can (probably) go up a hill, certainly faster than trying to ‘push’ a skateboard up the hill, but how fast are you/will you actually go? Plus, how much of a toll does it take on the motor?

How heavy is it? I see them carrying it around, but if it stops working out in the middle of your trip, what is the weight that you will be taking with you? Finally, what kind of liability lawsuits will this thing lend itself to? If the boarder hits another person … ? And Jim, being such a urban living fan yourself – when are you going to get one and give us a first hand report?

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1. James A. Bacon
  
  January 9, 2014
  
  I’m a fan of urban living, but I live in the ‘burbs! Plus, I’m too old to fool around with such things. If I fell off, I might never get back up.
  
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larryg

January 9, 2014

wow… even more uninsured young and dumb going to ERs for free care!

oh.. and just wait until we have mini-drones that can lift you a foot off the sidewalk and send you forward at 15mph or shoes with wheels powered by a battery back-pack…

I agree… innovation is …accelerating… and opportunities for job creation for those who have the skills and education!

At the local Middle School – they have a program where a small class has to build a functioning robot… it teaches the kids just how many different knowledge and education skill sets are required.. that specialized skills make you valuable and that collaborating as a team is also a necessary and marketable skill.

I like it because it’s not just “feel good esteem building”.. it really does show kids how much more they need to learn … aka tough love.

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What Do You Get When You Cross a Segway with a Skateboard?

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