Self-balancing

It was just last year that we heard about the Ascento 2, a self-balancing, two-legged, wheeled, hopping robot. Well, as if it wasn't already impressive enough, its designers have now unveiled the even more capable Ascento Pro.

The ANYmal robot was already impressive back when it walked on four legs. It got more interesting when wheels were added, letting it both walk and roll. That wheeled version is now also able to stand up, and could soon be used for urban deliveries.

The urban e-micromobility mix includes lots of different ways to get around. Some roll on two wheels, others three, and there are microcars too. And then there are Onewheel skateboards. Now, Future Motion has announced new flagship and Pint models.

Pulling your stuff around in a cart is all very well and good, but … what if you want to keep your hands free? That's where the gita wheeled robot was designed to come in. There will soon be a smaller version available, known as the gitamini.

Beijing's Da Vinci Dynamics has launched its DC100, a high-performance electric streetbike with an impressive 250-mile NEDC range, and some wacky "robotic" tricks, including the alleged ability to self-balance and auto-follow you around.

Prior to its acquisition by Ninebot, Segway was mostly known for its self-balancing people mover that never quite captured the general public's imagination. With the S-Pod, Segway returns to its self-balancing roots with an electric chair-on-wheels.

At first glance the Mantour X from FlowDot looks like many other compact folding e-kickscooters. But when folded, it stays upright on its front wheel as you roll it smoothly along.

​You might think that most new robots are designed to head off into factories or other workplaces, but the fact is that many of them are made to be used by robotics developers. That's the case with EVE r3, although its successor may find use in applications such as home care for the elderly.

​​We’ve seen a few iterations of Future Motion’s Onewheel since it rolled into the urban mobility scene five years ago, but the new model introduced today is the lightest and most affordable yet.

​Judging by the success of the Scrooser and the Phatty, people do like the idea of fat-tired electric scooters. California-based skateboarder/cyclist/product designer Nathan Allen is now attempting to join the throng, with the interesting-looking and apparently self-balancing Stator.

​Self-balancing electric scooters may be a handy way of getting around, but the things can be kind of bulky when you want to carry or stow them. A German startup is now offering a solution to that problem, in the form of the folding UrmO.

​Fans of human-powered transport can already choose between having both feet on a skateboard, or each foot in a rollerblade. If you're more into motorized self-balancing devices, though, you've been pretty much stuck putting both feet on a Segway-like hoverboard. That's not the case with Hovershoes.