A Japanese company has come up with an ingenious—albeit a tad quirky—mode of transportation.
Tokyo-based Cocoa Motors has come up with a personal transporter, which looks like a laptop with wheels, but is similar to a skateboard, except that it is battery-powered. Meet WalkCar, the brainchild of 26-year-old engineer Kuniako Saito.
Saito was prompted to make the transporter when he was struck with the idea of being able to carry "our transportation in our bags." His friend asked him to make one, and that is how WalkCar took shape.
At first glance, you might mistake the WalkCar for an inverted MacBook on wheels. This portable mode of transportation is svelte and lightweight, weighing just 6.6 pounds. It is, however, robust since it is made of aluminum.
The portable transport intends to resolve your commuting woes and offer an alternative that is comparatively easy to use and store. It is so compact that one can even carry it around in their laptop bag.
How does one maneuver the WalkCar? It is powered by a Lithium-ion battery and does not have a steering wheel. One simply needs to shift one's weight from one side to the other to navigate the WalkCar. Keeping your balance should not be an issue as the portable solution has four wheels. When you want to halt, simply get off the WalkCar.
The demo video shows that the WalkCar is able to handle inclines with ease, but we also wonder if those tiny wheels are capable of withstanding pressure from stones along the path or cracks on the sidewalk.
The WalkCar is also capable of gaining maximum speeds of 6.2 miles per hour and can go a distance of up to 7.4 miles on a three-hour charge.
The WalkCar basically improves on current options, such as Toyota's Winglet and the Segway, according to Saito. The contraption may prove to be a hit with commuters in Japan since several people need to travel long distances that require plenty of walking. The country's train service does not allow bicycles inside the train cars, so the WalkCar could be an effective solution for those unwilling to walk.
The prototype of the WalkCar is being tested. Cocoa Motors hopes to ship the WalkCar in early 2016, and it could cost around $800. Before this, however, the company will be looking to launch a Kickstarter campaign to help finalize the design before the WalkCar can go up for preorders in the fall.
