Pulled wagons are great for moving stuff around, but tackling heavier loads can be exhausting. Startup Litefar has launched the Orion, a motorized cargo wagon with remote control that can haul up to 180 lb of gear so you don't have to.
The Litefar Orion sports one rubberized wheel at each of its four corners, with the pair at the rear home to 500-W hub motors. This gives the rolling wagon a top speed of 2 meters per second (4.4 mph), which is user adjustable over four speed points starting at 0.6 m/s via a small wireless remote.
That LumiMote has a zippy response time of 3 milliseconds, and a transmission range of up to 12 m (39.4 ft). There's a small joystick up top to for control. A touch of a button engages the electronic brake, there's a handy hold feature that keeps the wagon in place until unlocked, and reverse is also available.
The designers have cooked in AI smarts that allow the system to automatically adjust motor power based on data from the "high-precision Inertial Measurement Unit" – so the onboard controller will, for example, ramp up the oomph when encountering a hill in order to maintain a steady pace. With Smart Mode on, it will also keep the Orion moving in a straight line (instead of veering off to one side), and if some chancer tries to give the trolley a hard push, the system will automatically compensate and slow down to the target speed.
The setup is powered by a 24,000-mAh battery that's reckoned good for up to 10 km (6.2 miles) of per-charge wagoning, and can be used as a USB powerbank for gadgetry if your smartphone needs a top-up when you wander into wilder parts.
The Orion is designed to haul heavy loads (up to 81.6 kg/180 lb) around in its 140-liter fabric cargo box, and is reported capable of towing up to 188 kg (415 lb) too. Side pockets, a cargo net and even a fold-out table are available as add-ons.
It rolls on tubeless rubber wheels, which are IPX6-rated to shake off puddles, incoming tide on beach treks and so on. There's a built-in telescopic lantern for after-dark adventures. And the remote can even serve as a 300-lumen flashlight, with built-in SOS mode. The aluminum alloy frame collapses down by 40% for between-use transport in the trunk or for storage. And the wagon weighs in at 16.5 kg (36 lb).
Like the Buffalo Cart, Outisan and others before it, the Orion motorized wagon has rolled onto Kickstarter to fund production, where pledges currently start at US$389. The usual crowdfunding cautions apply, but if all goes to plan with the already funded campaign, shipping is estimated to start from December. The video below has more.
Source: Litefar
