Traveling the 21st Century Way

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The transportation technology that is now available is making sci-fi ideas of thirty years ago a reality, and with lower fuel emissions too. Years ago, driving a car that can travel on both land and sea, navigating an actual hovercraft or making your daily commute by Skycar were concepts so seemingly far fetched that they could only exist in fiction. But our world has become so technology driven that, surely, soon no method of transportation will be out of the question. Fiction is becoming reality, in fact, some of these marvels are already here. Here are some of the most innovative methods of getting from point A to point B in true modern style.

The ‘Uno’-Wheeled Motorcycle

Don't be fooled. This unicycle of sorts is not for circus clowns, but instead is a practical motorbike that could soon be replacing traditional two-wheeled motorcycles. Created by teenager Ben Gulak, the Uno, as he has dubbed it, is well on its way to being China's answer to their abundant pollution-producing motorcycles. Gulak got the idea as he flew into a densely smog-filled Beijing nearly three years ago and decided something needed to be changed. The idea is that two wheels, sitting one inch apart underneath the rider, will create balance. The rider gains speed simply by leaning forward. When the rider turns, the inside wheel lifts and the outside wheel lowers, ensuring both wheels remain firmly planted on the ground. Designed to maneuver easily through crowded city streets Gulak also wanted a motorbike that would produce far fewer emissions. Incredibly, the Uno produces none because it is an all-electric unicycle. The Uno does not have all the kinks worked out and is not on the market but the prototype has certainly stirred a buzz. Believe it or not but this is not the only one-wheeled motorcycle prototype. The Bombardier Company has released EMBRIO, a one-wheeled motorcycle that uses a complex series of sensors and gyroscopes to balance up to 2 human passengers on a single wheel. In the very near future we could be seeing more people on motorized unicycles than on those has-been motorcycles of the past.

Rinspeed’s sQuba Car

Remember the first time you saw the submersible car in 007’s 1977 flick, The Spy Who Loved Me, and thought "where do I get one of those?" Well, Swiss automotive manufacturer Rinspeed will soon be producing sQuba, the world's first land traversing and water submersing automobile for the masses. With the first model recently completed in 2008 and shown to the world at the Geneva Motor Show last March it seems that technology is well on its way to turning one of the coolest Bond-mobile concept into reality. Using three motors, one of which is used for land roaming while the other two are used for underwater propulsion, the sQuba will reach speeds of up to 120 mph on land, 3.7mph under water and achieve depths up to 33ft. And in true 21st century fashion, this car will be eco-friendly, producing zero-emissions powered by rechargeable lithium ion batteries. Undoubtedly, the technology for such a vehicle has needed some serious tweaking, but sQuba visionary, Frank M. Rinderknecht has been working on his model for almost two decades now. He knows it is only a matter of time before the vehicle is perfected. The car will drive on land, float in water and once it begins to submerge the passenger will breathe air from a compressed tank of air, as the car is designed as an open top automobile for safety purposes. The open top concept may seem strange at first thought, but who wants to be trapped 30ft below in a watertight car?

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 User Comments:

wally

Apr 18, 2009 12:42 AM

thats amazing

Rodney

Apr 13, 2009 4:08 AM

Ever since i was a kid i have wanted to fly around in a jetpack. I can't wait until there is an affordable commercial model available.

jerry

Apr 13, 2009 2:21 AM

that uno looks awesome

h

Apr 12, 2009 2:20 AM

i just hate the sQuba open top concept

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