Thanks to the efforts of entrants in the Michelin Challenge Design, Starcruzer’s on a roll at the moment with ball-wheeled vehicles, and here’s a neat - if unlikely - design from last year, in the form of the proposed Audi Snook (top pictures) from German designer Tilmann Schlootz.
As conceived, the weird-wheel oddity - which looks for all the world like an automotive Darth Vader helmet - would be available with a pull-apart seat that can be used by one or two people. Not least of the Snook’s virtues in a crowded city would be the ability to slot three of them into a conventional parking bay, though who gets to pay the meter is anyone’s guess.
The balancing ability is something that’s only been possible with the advent of microprocesors that have sufficient computing power to tackle the micro-second decision-making required to maintain an upright stance. And the ancester of this type of vehicle is the Segway. Hailed at its launch in 2001 as being a new-wave solution to almost all urban transportation problems, the Segway has actually achieved only limited success.
For anyone who’s ridden one (see video for a test experience in Lille, France, and pix of the Puma variant) the flaws are pretty obvious, such as the lack of a seat, not much cargo capacity, and zero weather protection. Apart from electric power, Segways have few advantages over much cheaper and simpler traditional bicycles.
At least the Audi Snook addresses some of these issues, and looks quite cool in a weird sort of way, too.
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