Embrio – a motorised unicycle

There are many pro’s to having a motorcycle instead of a car.  A motorcycle is cheaper and more energy efficient.  And they, very annoyingly, weave in and out of rush-time traffic.  That’s what happens when you cut the number of wheels from four to two.  But what happens when you half the number of wheels again, from two to one?

 

You have probably visualised the image already, and you were right, it does look ridiculous. 

Before the turn of the millennium a motorised unicycle would have drawn even more laughs however.  It would probably have been the subject of a gag article in The Onion.  Even if it was possible to keep balanced whilst riding it, it would have been impossible to go much faster than a mother pushing her pram beside you.

The Embrio however, can travel, one-wheeled, at speeds more than 25 mph.  Ok, hardly record breaking but admiral nonetheless.  The idea behind the motorcycle, designed by Montreal-based Bombardier Recreational Products, was to have a hydrogen fuel-cell power its engine.  That means, despite its dubious look, you could be seeing many more of these in the future.

 

When the unicycle is stationery, a smaller front wheel comes down to balance it, in the same way a wheel drops down when an airplane is landing. 

The Embrio concept model was constructed with high-tech materials—mostly Polypropylene and Santoprene with a magnesium casting. The acceleration is controlled by a trigger on the handlebar; the steering is controlled entirely by shifting your body weight.