Self Balancing Unicycle

Why pay to design and mass-produce a four-wheeled autonomous security robot, when you can make a less costly one with just one wheel? That's the thinking behind the 1Rollo, a monowheel-bot that could soon be patrolling near you.

I've never been one to shy away from trying something new, even if it's dangerous, scary, intimidating, daunting, and all the other adjectives that would make most people go "Oh, heck no!" Electric unicycle? Challenge accepted.

While there are now a few different companies that build self-balancing one-wheeled electric skateboards, Future Motion was one of the very first. The California-based firm has just announced the latest addition to its lineup, the small but mighty Pint S.

Though it might be tempting to stump up serious cash for a crazy powerful electric unicycle, learning on such a beast is probably the wrong move. InMotion's beginner-friendly E20 promises to have you gliding in minutes, and won't cost a packet.

The InMotion V13 Challenger aims to be the fastest, most powerful electric unicycle in the world. Capable of putting out a peak of 10,000 watts and powering up to speeds of 87 mph (140 km/h), the V13 is more explosive than many electric two-wheelers.

As electric unicycles become more popular, it goes without saying that some people will want to use the things off-road. InMotion's V11 is designed with that in mind, as it features 2.75 inches (70 mm) of air-sprung suspension travel.

Weighing just 20 lb (9 kg) and folding into a 10-inch-diameter ball for transport, the Jyroball is a super-compact self-balancing urban monowheel that its creators say is one of the easiest yet to learn to ride. And at US$395 on Indiegogo, it's less than half the price of most competitors.

It was just a year ago that we heard about the Uno Bolt, a rather nifty one-wheeled self-balancing electric scooter. Well, if it was still just a bit "too much" scooter for you, it's now got a little sibling named the Mini.

​John Dingley, the guy behind last year's electric luge, has been in the workshop again. This time he's been working on a new version of his self-balancing electric unicycle. Similar to the Ryno, but home built and using a brushless motor.​

The race is on amongst the mobility companies for the missing link – the smallest, lightest manpackable form of transport man can conjure and the Yikebike stakes its claim.