Wearable Motorbike Makes Batman's Toys Look Pedestrian

[WhiteFeather]

You won't catch me on this one, NO WAY
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/0...le-motorb.html



Wearable Motorbike Makes Batman's Toys Look Pedestrian

Meet the Deus Ex Machina, a wearable motorbike that brings superhero-style transport into the real world (almost). The pretentiously named vehicle clamps to the rider like Ripley's exoskeleton in Aliens, and will power them to 60 mph in just three seconds, topping out at 75 mph.

Of course, even with three wheels the upright design would be unstable at that speed, which is why the skelebike moves the rider into a scary head-first horizontal position as it gets faster. Sensors detect the wearer's movements and send them to 36 pneumatic muscles which control the positioning and steering of the machine.

The name is sadly appropriate. Right now Deus Ex Machina exists only inside a computer, but college-going designer Jake Loniak says that all the tech needed is currently available, right down to those "muscles" which are made by a German company called Festo. To be honest, we don't know whether this is simply preposterous or the greatest motorbike (trike?) we've ever seen. I'd certainly try it out, but flying along at 75 mph with my face inches from the asphalt might be a little too scary.

[Bmarshall91]

i'd rock it! what would be even cooler would be if they hooked those pneumatics up to your brain so you could control throttle postion as well. all you do is hold on and think about what you want to do.

[vetter3006]

After looking at that thing, I'd still rather ride a Harley.

[mikey0086]

I'LL TAKE MY ROADKING ANYDAY THANK YOU...

[adymond]

Looks like the things from Return to Oz. The Wheelers.