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Adam Savage turned Spot the robodog into a creepy rickshaw driver
Boston Dynamics has long touted robotic dog Spot's ability to help out in disaster situations and to take on jobs too hazardous for humans, but what practical applications does it have for the average Joe? Beyond scuttling around your house like a Lovecraftian nightmare, that is. Well, as ex-Mythbusters host Adam Savage has recently unveiled, it's pretty good at pulling a rickshaw.
Meguru is the world's first EV rickshaw it didn't know it needed (video)
If you've never experience the thrill that is fearing for your life while some crazy rickshaw jockey takes you tearing through a busy street, two-stroke engine screaming even louder than you, you haven't really lived. Soon there'll be no 175cc engine to drown out your lamentations, with the Meguru offering all that thrill and style with an EV powertrain. It has a traditional Japanese design with motorcycle-derived innards but a cushy (and tackily upholstered) back seat for two -- or maybe three depending on how friendly everyone is. The side curtains are made of bamboo and washi paper, giving it a look that says "I'm at least partially organic." It's available now for a mere ¥100,000; about $1,200. Update: A little further Googling has found a number of prior permutations for gas-free rickshaws, including a solar model, making us think the "world's first" claim here is perhaps a little dubious -- as it often is. Still, we'll give it world's first mass produced EV rickshaw.
Solar-powered rollerblading Dubya-bot chariot
Modern advancements in rickshaw / chariot designs have given drivers' tired legs a chance to rest, but why not remove the driver altogether and employ a solar-powered, rollerblading robot in effigy of George W. Bush dressed as a Roman warrior? Unorthodox transportation inventor Bob Schneevis, also a professor of neurology at Stanford, juices up this 2-person chariot with two 24-volt batteries powered by solar panels on the roof of his garage. The Dubya-faced bot goes into rollerblading mode (a legs vs. wheels efficiency experiment) to tow the 2-wheeled chariot for a politically-charged, yet enviro-friendly ride. Yes, Schneevis isn't exactly subtle with the presidential propaganda, but we highly encourage you to focus on what's really important: applying green energy methods to rollerblading robot-powered chariots.[Via Autoblog Green]
