Uno III folding electric scooter

[Richard230]

Here is another folding personal-transport city scooter concept. It looks pretty neat but also looks like it would be expensive to build and would have to compete with whatever is left of the Segway market and that could be tough:

http://news.cnet.com/2300-11128_3-10006067.html

[protomech]

That's a pretty cool idea, I'm curious how well it would work in practice. Two rear wheels spaced that tightly together looks like it wouldn't do well at either turning (like a car) or leaning (like a bike). Maybe it works like a backwards piaggio mp3?

[Richard230]

The only way I can think of for that thing to work is if the rear wheels either extend wider to the side or lean together like the front wheels of an MP3. If I had to take a guess, I would say that it would be easier to design the rear wheels to spread apart than to make them lean. Besides, if you have them lean you might run afoul of someone's patents, such as Piaggio's.

[Richard230]

Here is a link to more information regarding the UNO III scooter, including two short videos (the first starts with a shampoo ad), the second one shows the UNO on the road and unfolding into a motorcycle-like vehicle as it nears its top speed of 30 mph. Actually this thing is mechanically fascinating and I am impressed with the designer, but it has to be very expensive to build and I don't think the people that make it are going to get rich by selling the UNO. Still, I give them credit for thinking way outside the box. 

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/10/a-look-at-bpg-motors-amazing-transforming-self-balancing-uno/