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.
Onewheel, whose inventors are trying to raise $100,000 through Kickstarter, 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.
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.
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.
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.
— JAB
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