(Credit:
Chariot Skates)
If you can imagine "wearing" a bicycle on your feet, it might look something like Chariot Skates, the name of a novel form of roller skate that lets you go off-road and downhill with greater ease than inline skates.
Australian Michael Jenkins created his Wheelskates to bring skiing and cycling together in one product. The user's feet are suspended below the axles of knee-high wheels in hinged leg and foot support struts; smaller rear wheels add stability. The mechanism helps create the impression of skiing and skating when moving forward.
Jenkins says the low center of gravity in his skates allows users greater speed and maneuverability than traditional inline skates, adding that he travels around 12 mph without traffic.
It's also possible to go down grassy slopes and traverse rough terrain on them. Stopping is achieved by gripping the wheels with special gloves, or doing a T-stop.
People have been tinkering with wheeled footwear for more than a century, but Chariot Skates brings modern materials know-how to the dream of effortless motion.
The prototype skates are made of expensive carbon composite material, and estimated production costs are comparable to those of "first-class carbon fiber bicycles," according to Chariot Skates, which is based in Hong Kong.
Jenkins has said they may cost several thousand Australian dollars when they hit the market, expected next year.
(Via Gear Junkie)
The Small Pressurized Rover is built on the Chariot platform.
(Credit: NASA)Earlier this year NASA demonstrated its Chariot Lunar Rover concept, and now the space agency is demonstrating its adoption of modern automotive industrial practices by applying platform engineering to the Chariot, coming up with the Small Pressurized Rover (SPR). Built on the Chariot platform, the SPR is one variation of a lunar vehicle being tested by NASA. It uses a pressurized cabin that can seat two comfortably, or four in an emergency. Astronauts could view the surface of the moon, performing tests and experiments, in T-shirts. Instead of using a bulky airlock, the SPR has two extra vehicular-activity suits attached to sealable ports. An astronaut can enter the suit from inside the SPR, detach it, pick up some moon rocks or help build a lunar colony, then reattach to the SPR and climb back into the cabin.
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NASA tests the Lunar Chariot on a simulated moonscape.
(Credit: NASA)It has six wheels, all-wheel-drive, all-wheel-steering, and it's a concept of a 2020 model year car. Oh, and it's designed to drive on the moon. NASA has been working on a vehicle, the Lunar Chariot, for astronauts to use on a planned return to the moon in 2020. The design for the Lunar Chariot was influenced by the Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which proved the usefulness of having multiple driven wheels over an incredibly hostile landscape. With its all-wheel-steering, it can drive in a crab-like sideways motion, further improving its mobility over difficult surfaces. The Chariot lacks a seat, instead relying on a stand-up position for controlling the vehicle, affording a 360 degree view which will help the astronaut driver to look out for obstacles. NASA points out in its news release that the original Lunar Rover couldn't be driven in reverse because the astronauts couldn't see behind them. We assume the Lunar Chariot is electrically driven, given that gasoline won't combust all that well on the moon.
New Scientist published the following driving video of the Lunar Chariot. In these tests, the Chariot has been equipped with a blade so astronauts can excavate the surface of the moon, we assume in preparation for building a permanent base.
(Credit:
Harbor Freight Tools)
If it looks too good to be true, as they say, it probably is. That would explain our fear of getting on one of these Segway knockoffs.
The "Chariot Scooter" goes for $500, according to Uber-Review, while the real Segway costs around $4,000 to $5,000 (and way more if you bid on the "GOB version" on eBay). And even while charging 10 times more money, the authentic Segway hasn't been able to make it foolproof. The $500 model? We wouldn't even want to guess.
It may max out at 10 mph, but that still leaves plenty of room for personal-injury lawyers to work with. Just look at the face on that guy in the picture. To us, it says it all.
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