iSlide: the skateboard / Segway hybrid

Granted, the whole Segway-esque skateboard idea has been tossed around (and patented) before, but Tal Ofir decided to conjure up his own design, anyway. Dubbed a "motorized skateboard for an urban environment," this transporter touts a centrally placed wheel and a "computerized weight balance unit" to keep you upright, and it seems that it would be constructed primarily from epoxy and fiberglass. Reportedly, Ofir is fielding interest from potential investors who'd like to make this thing the next Razer scooter, but attaching any sort of hip factor to it will not be a simple task. Click on for another glimpse.

[Via Gizmag]

[Justin @ Sep 19th 2007 1:43AM]

I think this is much better :)

http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/09/meet-the-one-wheel-balancing-scooter-suck-it-segway/

[octoberasian @ Sep 19th 2007 1:54AM]

That other guy should've patented the idea first. I saw that Engadget post a long time ago.

I bet the other guy is probably or will start thinking, "Man, why didn't I patent this and find some way to bring it to market?"

[LondonConsultant @ Sep 19th 2007 3:44AM]

I agree. That link is a cool working prototype (great video!) whereas this iSlide is merely a non-functioning design. And judged solely on design, it looks like an unusual exercise unit for toning pecs...

[Nick Bee @ Sep 19th 2007 2:20PM]

The original person will still be eligible for the patent as long as he has 'prior art' that proves he was first - I'd say that Engadget post dated March 10th will be plenty to help prove he was first :)

[Will @ Sep 19th 2007 1:44AM]

I think it is cool, so clearly it is not going to be popular with the kids.

[Fruition @ Sep 19th 2007 1:52AM]

Geez, they're really willing to slap that i- prefix onto anything nowadays, aren't they? And to think, I remember back when the first iMac came out... Back when that was a creative name. Now it's just a sign that a company lacks originality.

[Zach @ Sep 19th 2007 7:22AM]

The worst I've seen was a $10 speaker system that claimed to be fore iPods. The dock was too narrow and too deep, so the iPod couldn't really fit in very well. Oh, and it was called iGoStereo. Rhyming is generally a sign of poor branding. Not only does this rhyme, but there's and i prefix. Great work.

[Zach @ Sep 19th 2007 7:22AM]

Judge me not, I don't know why I wrote fore instead of for.

[Fruition @ Sep 19th 2007 11:35AM]

We won't judge you for replacing "for" with "fore", but we will judge you for replacing "an" with "and".

;)

[Zach @ Sep 19th 2007 1:10PM]

Well there goes my reputation. I was going to complain about the crummy keyboard on the Fujitsu LifeBook T4215, but it was probably more my fault than it's.

[Zach @ Sep 19th 2007 1:10PM]

Well there goes my reputation. I was going to complain about the crummy keyboard on the Fujitsu LifeBook T4215, but it was probably more my fault than its.

[kyle allen @ Sep 20th 2007 1:22AM]

ive seen a cople of these. just today i infact i decided to look into makeing one

[anderesp @ Sep 19th 2007 2:15AM]

hopefully this wont cost $1,200 bucks.

[seoultrain @ Sep 19th 2007 2:34AM]

at $1,200 they wouldn't be able to make them fast enough. Think more like $5k-$10k to start, then settling at about $2k-$3k.

[Twitchy @ Sep 19th 2007 2:25AM]

That thing looks fugly - I sure as hell hope that it blends.

[Zach @ Sep 19th 2007 7:23AM]

That Will it Blend guy needs to release his soundtrack.

[Moses Jiggetts @ Sep 19th 2007 2:40AM]

I might ride it. as a skater I feel it might be what i want in transportation . i hope it dosent cost over 200

[DJ @ Sep 19th 2007 2:55AM]

Ok, firstly, if something is "hip" then kids WON'T buy it. Hip is lame.

It would be wicked if you dropped the handle, HANDLES ARE NOT COOL. Maybe streamline it a bit more, at the moment it looks like the sort of exercise gadget that lady holding it would use.

And there is no way I am going to stand on a board with one wheel going up the street if it goes 4km an hour. Or 5. or 6.

I have a size 13 shoe (don't ask me what scale that's on, I have no idea), given the tendency of my more "hip" friends to wear shoes twice as wide as they need to, are my feet even going to be able to fit on this? Let alone at an angle other than parallel to the centre bar.

And I take it it isn't going to handle a bar too well... will it break if I hit someone with it too? Looks good for that. Even has a handle!

[delicatepc @ Sep 19th 2007 1:55PM]

Digg.com is down. 11:58PST.

[Andrew ? @ Sep 19th 2007 3:00AM]

It does abs, too

[bradwjensen @ Sep 19th 2007 3:03AM]

I prefer skating a real board; one in which i control the balance, and do tricks.
This thing is just kool in a lazy way.. Now if it could go really fast.. that might be awesome! haha

[Coco @ Sep 19th 2007 9:12AM]

Awesome! It looks like a hoover board (Back to the future, anyone?) The handle has to go though that's for sure. If you must -- make it somehow strap across your chest like a bike messenger's bag.

[ianoid @ Sep 19th 2007 11:24AM]

Does it clean your floors too?

The styling and model attire lend no air of coolness. The running shoes are a bad move. How about some DC or Etnies, dammit? Plus the thing needs a tail/nose so that you can pop it up curbs.

[xgwynn @ Sep 19th 2007 4:30AM]

How would you turn on it, or am I missing something?

[shapey @ Sep 19th 2007 4:54AM]

this looks shit.

[Rajiv @ Sep 19th 2007 5:27AM]

thats funny..:)

[V.I. @ Sep 19th 2007 6:07AM]

Why is so much electronic crap called "I" this and "I" that? Why not just come up with a name for it instead of putting an I before it?

[V.I. @ Sep 19th 2007 6:09AM]

My bad, didnt read your comment until after I commented below.

[suv4x4 @ Sep 19th 2007 6:16AM]

Actually there was a popular adult company that emulated the Apple look and called their "products" iVibrator and crap like that. Apple went after them in court.

[Adam K @ Sep 19th 2007 9:07AM]

Keys to success:
1. Get Megan Fox to endorse it
2. Make some sweet "Scion-esque" transformers commercial and have this bad boy turn into a sweet robot

I swear to God that would do it.

[James @ Sep 19th 2007 12:50PM]

Maybe I'm being a bit thick, but how do you steer? It looks like the main wheel is totally flat, so it would be hard to lean to turn...

Also, even with LiI, it would need pretty heavy batteries to get useful range, which means that either it has little range (sucks), or is to heavy to carry/wear once you get where you're going (also sucks). Solve that, and it might just catch on.

[Golferal @ Sep 19th 2007 2:16PM]

They're going to have to hire a much better looking model to get me interested...

[Tawcan @ Sep 19th 2007 4:29PM]

The concept isn't new...some students in UBC's engineering physics developed a similar device couple years ago.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5736160757570599809&q=emanual&total=73&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

[Who? @ Sep 19th 2007 5:09PM]

Ever think of riding it on the sidewalk, smart guy?

[spykedjadedragon @ Sep 19th 2007 5:48PM]

Where's my hoverboard?! As for this board...make it silver or black, not a weird reddish orange... Yes, loose the handle...and that disgusting "i" prefix...and hopefully this thing goes at a decent speed otherwise, what's the point?

~Spyked~
ChiYokLown

[Sam @ Sep 19th 2007 6:19PM]

They had a homemade one of these on hackaday.com like 2 years ago.

[wakka_wakka @ Sep 19th 2007 6:15PM]

i... i now want to make one with laptop batteries and a glorified skateboard.

anyone else?

[Ben @ Sep 20th 2007 3:06PM]

If you do make one I reckon Lithium Polymer batteries would be good, that way you could get the deck nice and thin.

[Hafk @ Sep 23rd 2007 5:17AM]

Seen it before. This one looks ugly.

When are people going to stop this wheeled madness?

We should be working on hoverboards. Now those are cool!