Capable Concept?

CAPABLE CONCEPT?

A high-powered racing motorcycle spends a lot of its time on just one wheel—accelerating on the rear tire, braking on the front. If riders can balance on one wheel, why have two? The Segway people-mover asks the same question, operating in a perpetual wheelie, with an on-board control system providing fore-and-aft balance. If electronics can balance Segway and a motorcyclist can wheelie, one wheel is all that’s needed, right? Such a vehicle, stabilized by electronics and sensors, would tip forward or back to accelerate or brake, and would lean in turns-the same motions employed by unicyclists. Bombardier of Canada plans to build it. The famed maker of snowmobiles and watercraft calls it “Embrio Monowheel.” So far, just a mockup exists and only the most general features of this blue-skies concept have been revealed. A retractable “nosewheel” gives stability below 12 mph, and hydrogen fuel cells provide power. Embrio might become reality in the 2025 time frame. -Kevin Cameron