Those who walk while talking on cell phones are less likely than those listening to their iPods to see this clown unicycling pass, and they even struggle walking in straight lines, new research finds.
(Credit: Western Washington University)Most research on cell phone distraction has revolved around driving, and has led to laws against using handheld phones when behind the wheel. But it turns out that walkers using cell phones are also distracted, more so than individuals walking alone, or in pairs, or even those listening to music. In fact, so much so that only 25 percent of them even noticed a clown unicycling past. (The clown was not a lovely coincidence but rather a study prop.)
Researchers at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., set out to study inattentional blindness using the unicycling clown test, the results of which will be published in the December issue of Applied Cognitive Psychology.
It turns out that those walking alone, in pairs, or while listening to music noticed the unicycling clown more than 50 percent of the time, while those walking while talking into their cell phones noticed him only 25 percent of the time.
Cell phone walkers also had difficulties with the task of walking itself, and walked on average more slowly (at least they won't hurt the clown when they bowl him over), tended to weave, and rarely acknowledged nearby individuals (which may or may not be the result of distraction).
... Read moreHonda on Wednesday unveiled the U3-X, a stool with a unique directional wheel system that allows it to travel diagonally, as well as right, left, forward, and backward.
It's basically a robotic unicycle.
The device is able to readjust itself so that instead of riders having to constantly balance themselves, the robotic unicycle does the compensating.
Honda pointed out in its unveiling video that the U3-X's seat is slightly higher than an average person's waistline, forcing riders to jump up slightly to sit on it and place their feet on a foot rest. This elevated height of the robotic unicycle leaves riders at relative eye level with passing pedestrians while in motion, according to Honda.
It's a nice touch. A common complaint among people in wheelchairs are the social and psychological effects of literally being looked down upon while traveling the world in a sitting position. But requiring the rider to be able to hold upright while on a backless seat clearly disqualifies the U3-X as a wheelchair substitute for many.
And in this age of rising obesity, who among the fitness-conscious is really going to ride the streets on a robotic stool when they can get a little chance at some exercise during their busy day by walking?
It's just one of those things you know no one is really going to buy. So why, then, did Honda unveil the U3-X robotic unicycle?
... Read more
(Credit:
eniCycle)
The wheel is being reinvented yet again, this time in the form of the eniCycle by Slovenian inventor Aleksander Polutnik. Think of the foot rests as handle bars, with directional steering done by pressing on the left or right foot rest, and the speed controlled by leaning forward or backward.
Less of a Segway clone than the Orbis Urban Mobility Vehicle, this self-balancing electric unicycle is said to be so intuitive, the average new rider just needs a maximum of 30 minutes to master it. But don't take our word for it. Check out the video after the jump to make up your mind as The Gadget Show takes up the challenge. In fact, you may get to try out the eniCycle in person sooner than you can say "gyroscopic stabilization," as Polutnik's on a one-wheel crusade to get this mass-produced early.
The foot rests act like handle bars. You press down on them to steer left or right.
(Credit: eniCycle)A childhood memory, courtesy of my CNET colleague Jeff Sparkman: "My best friend rode a unicycle to school in junior high. At my urging. Oddly, we weren't as popular with the ladies as one would expect."
Look ma, no hands!
(Credit: Focus Designs)Well, Jeff, if you and your friend had been riding the electric self-balancing unicycle from Focus Designs, half the girls at Monte Vista Middle School probably would have plastered foxy pictures of you and your bud inside their lockers.
Riders of this 21st century bike don't need to pedal; in fact there are no crank arms, just foot rests. The 24.6-pound SBU stays upright using electronics including accelerometers and gyroscopes with sophisticated balancing algorithms.
Still, the "self-balancing" part of the moniker here is slightly misleading. The SBU is actually a rider-assist vehicle that combines at least a bit of the user's balancing skill with control mechanisms. Think of it as the Segway of unicycles.
Focus Design says maneuvering the SBU is about half as difficult as riding a conventional unicycle (a rather subjective assessment), with an average user needing two hours or so of practice before he or she can enjoy a decent ride (presumably one that doesn't involve a face-plant in the bushes).
Riders control the speed of the cycle by leaning forward or backward. According to the company, an average male rider can easily go 8 mph on a flat surface.
But don't expect to see too many of these around campus--or the circus--anytime soon. A limited release of 10 SBUs is slated for early November, with the cycles going for $1,500 each. And this isn't just a first-come, first-served affair. Riders will also be selected based on a brief phone interview, in which hopefuls might want to avoid mentioning their proclivity for bike crashes.
Watch a video of the SBU in action here.
(Credit:
Crave Asia)
What do you get when you decide that a bicycle needs only one main wheel while declaring that the seat and handles are useless? You get the Magic Wheel, which functions like a foot scooter but looks a little like an Andy Warhol installation.
We first spotted this odd conveyance while on our way to lunch, and our initial thought was that this was a little late for an April Fool's joke. But shockingly, we found out it's an actual product.
Despite its unusual design, the distributor claims that it takes only a couple of hours to master the Magic Wheel. At $229 a piece, it costs as much as a full-fledged mountain bike and a lot more than a skate scooter. Though it doesn't look as irritating (or deadly) as Heelys and takes up less space than a bicycle, we'd rather take a pair of rollerblades anytime.
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Hammacher Schlemmer)
We really didn't think anything like the motorized monocycle "WheelSurf" would ever be marketed to the masses, but now we find out that one is being offered by mainstream gadget shop Hammacher Schlemmer of all places. Of course, it's selling for nearly twice the price listed back in September, for $13,000.
Even if you do have that kind of dough to blow, you won't be able to commute in this unicycle on steroids because it's not street-legal, as BornRich points out. But still, talk about making your buddies jealous: After all, how many 67-inch motorized wheels have you seen, let alone one that can hit 25 miles per hour? And unlike other versions, you won't have to wait till 2025 to ride one.
(Credit:
Newlaunches)
We have no idea what transportation vehicles will look like in 2025 but, if we ventured to guess, the "Embrio Advanced Concept" wouldn't appear anywhere on the list of possibilities. Call us narrow-minded, but we just don't see a one-wheeled motorcycle taking off for the masses.
Designed by Canada-based Bombardier Recreational Products, it sounds something like a mashup of a motorized unicycle and a Segway--for two people, if you can believe that. "The vehicle uses sensors and gyroscopes to balance up to two passengers on a large single wheel whilst driving," according to Newlaunches, allowing the rider(s) to turn by leaning left or right. And given that we're talking about the future, it will run on green hydrogen fuel cells, of course.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature, aside from the fact that it has only one wheel, is a small set of "landing gear" that descends at speeds under 12.5 miles per hour. Frankly, we'd feel safer riding something like the "Hyperbike."
(Credit:
WheelSurf)
If the "HyperBike" ever had training wheels, they might look something like the "WheelSurf." Actually we should say training wheel, not wheels, because this contraption is just one giant ring big enough to fit a human being inside.
Hailing from the Netherlands, this $6,900 precarious-looking "mobile circle" runs on a gas-powered Honda engine that can reach more than 18 mph. The scariest-sounding thing of all is how you ride this thing: "The outer wheel revolves around propelling you forward while keeping the center level with the horizon. Steering is accomplished by moving your center of gravity (that means you) to the right, left or back to stop," according to Slippery Brick.
We're happy to wait for others to work out the kinks first.
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