A0: Monocycle chic from Audi not just for circus clowns (w/ video)

(PhysOrg.com) -- Sit down, take a load off your Segway ride, beckons a fold-up device that is a result of a design study. Audi, in collaboration with the Technische Universitat Munchen and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, has developed an electric motor rider where the user sits, not stands, for the ride. The device is called the Audi A0. The motor empowers a single hollow wheel for self-stabilization, At 15kph (9 miles per hour), its use is obviously limited.

Another limitation is battery life; an electric battery runs for only an hour. Reactions from observers on this device have been positive (looks like fun; more comfortable than stand-up alternatives in PT machines; visually impressive) to snide (great for that trip to the wine store; performance at least sufficient for terrorizing pedestrians; nice for that journey from where you parked to your office).

The project was under the supervision of Klemens Rossnagel, head designer of the Audi Design Research Center in Munich.

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