DailyDirt: Unusual Human-Powered Transportation

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Wed, Sep 19th 2012 5:00pm — Michael Ho

Walking is such a boring way to travel for some folks. All kinds of gadgets to help people move faster with less effort have been tried, and some products (like skateboards and roller blades) have survived an initial fad to become somewhat useful means of transport. But some things haven't quite proven their worth beyond being fleetingly-popular toys. It doesn't hurt to keep trying to come up with better ways to get around, so here are just a few other examples of things designed to move people.

The German-designed FLIZ is a modern take on the velocipede -- and it looks pretty dorky. Riders of this bike are hanging from a harness, and they "pedal" by simply walking... so there's not that much mechanical advantage. [url]
Normally, kids on skateboards go down the handrails of stairs, but a skateboard design called the Stair Rover tackles stairs head on. But the Stair Rover probably solves a problem that few people really wanted to fix.... [url]
The pogo stick isn't exactly a means of transportation, but it's become an extreme sport. The Guinness Book of World Records has recorded the highest jump at 9 feet 6 inches (over a bar). [url]

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Filed Under: bike, fliz, pogo, skateboards, stair rover, toys, transportation

12 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 19 Sep 2012 @ 5:36pm

that skateboard..
doesn't look like it would work that well going down at an angle? also, just put really big wheels on your deck and you'll be able to go down stairs withtout that fancy 4wheel trucks
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Ninja (profile), 19 Sep 2012 @ 6:01pm

Buscylces. We need buscycles. You get in the "bus" and have to help moving it. Solves both the greenhouse gases and obesity (and associated diseases).
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Rekrul, 19 Sep 2012 @ 6:25pm

Re:
Buscylces. We need buscycles. You get in the "bus" and have to help moving it.

Like on The Flintstones...
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Sep 2012 @ 6:30pm

and yet, you still cant go past the good old push bike and the most efficient form of human powered transport.
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JoeCool (profile), 19 Sep 2012 @ 7:47pm

Re: that skateboard..
Yeah, it didn't look like it would do well at all on normal stairs. Besides, making a skateboard for going DOWN stairs is NOTHING! Give me a call when they have one designed to go UP the stairs. :D
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F!, 19 Sep 2012 @ 8:15pm

Re: that skateboard..
Actually, the 2nd time it did show it going down at an angle. Might have missed it because it went by so fast...

Seriously though... Two and a half minutes of some (admittedly interesting) architecture shots & fairly decent music - but they only show the skateboard going down stairs (the whole point of the video after all) twice? For a total of what, maybe 5 seconds out of the whole video!?

Didn't look like the skateboard was good for anything else, either.
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F!, 19 Sep 2012 @ 8:20pm

neck injury
That bike looked like a good way to snap your neck off, not to mention, how the heck would you look over your shoulder in traffic with those bars in the way? All I saw was the pictures, as "This video has been removed by the user." And it was really, really ugly.

Concept bike indeed. Hope it stays that way.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Sep 2012 @ 8:24pm

Re:
"and yet, you still cant go past the good old push bike and the most efficient form of human powered transport."

You speak the truth. I can't imagine trying to get that 'bike' uphills. Would be far more work than just walking.

Actually it occurs to me this might actually be good for physical therapy for semi-invalids and people recovering from injury. Worthless as transportation for the average human though.
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Jason, 20 Sep 2012 @ 12:03am

Re: that skateboard..
Yeah, but I could also see a mod of this design (with some offroad wheels and a little better clearance) significantly expanding the trail options for moutainboarding.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2012 @ 12:44am

buscycles
I like the "buscycles" concept, it just LOL'd me. It reminds me of the flinstones! By the way walking isn't that boring. I love walking it burns up calories and reduce belly fat.
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Jeffrey Nonken (profile), 20 Sep 2012 @ 10:46am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c8b6dHFLBg
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Dianne, 14 Mar 2013 @ 12:04pm

We must switch to Public transport and electric or human power transport to provide sustainability to the nature and make at least save some drops of fuel for our Future. Because at-least I feel that fuel doesn't grow on trees... go green

Right Way Driving
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