Someone at Ford thinks it’d be cool if you could yank off a car’s back wheel and ride away on it. I
really enjoy this one.
Functioning as a one-wheeled, self-balancing electric cycle, the machine could be used as a way of scooting around town once you've parked your main ride. As Ford describes in the patent, this unicycle would serve as part of a multi-modal transportation system for dense urban areas. Once a driver has parked in a commuter parking lot or garage, they could could then use the unicycle to reach their final destination. Like foldable bicycles, electric skateboards, and scooters, this would be another solution to the last-mile problem that is common in transportation - just integrated into your vehicle.
Shown here is a sketch of Ford's ingenious idea:
really enjoy this one.
Functioning as a one-wheeled, self-balancing electric cycle, the machine could be used as a way of scooting around town once you've parked your main ride. As Ford describes in the patent, this unicycle would serve as part of a multi-modal transportation system for dense urban areas. Once a driver has parked in a commuter parking lot or garage, they could could then use the unicycle to reach their final destination. Like foldable bicycles, electric skateboards, and scooters, this would be another solution to the last-mile problem that is common in transportation - just integrated into your vehicle.
Shown here is a sketch of Ford's ingenious idea:
Looking at the patent drawings, though, plenty of questions come to mind, possibly none more pressing than the following: who wants to jack up their car every day before heading to work? According to the patent, Ford thinks one solution for that is to build the jack into the actual suspension or structure of the car. Even still, tires are dirty, and this seems like a bit more labor than most people prefer in the morning. Using a spare tire might make more sense, but those are also becoming less popular. Other hurdles could include creating a cost-effective hub assembly that has the gyroscopes and motor needed to balance and move the unicycle while still working as a standard car tire.
But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves here. To be honest, the chances of this particular contraption turning up any time soon as an option for Ford buyers are pretty slim, and as it's currently only a patent, it might never become reality.
Sources
Del-Colle, Andrew. "Ford Wants to Make Your Tire Into an Electric Unicycle." Road & Track. 29 Dec. 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
Mogg, Trevor. "Check out Ford’s Wacky Idea for a Rear Wheel That Doubles as a Unicycle." Digital Trends. 30 Dec. 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
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