SBU V3 Self-Balancing Unicycle
Crash a Segway into a unicycle and you’ve got yourself a sure-fire YouTube hit. And possibly an SBU. That’s a Self-Balancing Unicycle. The familiar unicycle (as favoured by buskers and circus performers) does away with the second wheel for starters, as well as the frame, handlebars, brakes; the SBU gets rid of the pedals, too.
This is a battery-powered mono-wheel, but with lots of smarts under its, eh . . . saddle. Like the oft-mocked but still eerily hypnotic Segway, the SBU is controlled by how you lean: forwards to go forward, backwards to slow-down. Its inventors claim you’ll master the SBU in about 30 minutes. The juggling and clown-dodging make take longer.
There’s more magic in there too: with accelerometers and gyros to help you balance and smooth the ride. It has also got regenerative braking, like a hybrid car, where the kinetic energy as you slow down is harvested for the battery.
And, you’ll be pleased to know, you can add a set of trainer stabilisers to get you started.
$1,795, focusdesigns.com
Eco Terra Waterproof Boombox
Vaguely old-school sound-system in its looks, but that’s just where the Eco Terra starts. No cassettes here: it takes an iPod or other MP3 player, giving it a bit more boom with a pair of forward-firing speakers, and it charges it while it’s at it. Oh and it’s waterproof, of course. Floats too – keeping the speakers pointing up and out. And when it says waterproof, it’s properly so, to IPX7 standard, which means it can take 30 minutes’ total immersion in a metre of water – the sort of claim that just dares you to test it. That sort of sealing will also keep out sand and dust too, of course. So what beach party could be without one? And reinforcing its outdoors credentials, the Eco Terra comes with a couple of carabineers to hang it from a tree or clip it your boat. You’ll get about a day’s play from the batteries or there’s a AC adapter if you’re poolside.
Approx $150, gracedigitalaudio.com
Self-Service Bike Station
Here’s a timely idea from a pair of US ped heads: a vending machine that has all the bike parts or accessories you might need for an emergency pit stop or impulse purchase. The brainwave of a crowd called Bike Fixtation, the vending machine is part of a self-service bicycle-repair kiosk concept they’re starting to roll out, where there are free tools and air, as well as the vending machine itself. This holds everything from repair kits and lights, to sun cream and hand warmers.
The vending machines are built with security in mind, taking credit cards and secured with a dual-locking system and triple-pane glass coated with a polycarbonate layer. However, Ireland’s bike thieves are so heftily tooled-up, dogged and brazen, you might worry it could all be a little too self-service over here. Still, they’d be a welcome addition.
See bikefixtation.comfor details