Urban Transport

Self-balancing single-wheeler could be coming to a street near you

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The Uno Bolt in its native habitat, Florida
Uno Bolt
The Uno Bolt has a top speed of 22 mph (35 km/h)
Uno Bolt
The Uno Bolt features a 1,000-lumen headlight
Uno Bolt
The Uno Bolt in its native habitat, Florida
Uno Bolt
The Uno Bolt is being made in two colors
Uno Bolt
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Futuristically enough, there are now several one-wheeled self-balancing scooters in various stages of production. That said, not all of them are available for purchase just yet, so the announcement of a new one – which may beat its competitors to the marketplace – is still something to take note of. In the case of the electric Uno Bolt, it also features what is claimed to be "the quickest responding gyroscope to be put into a one-wheel machine."

Not to be confused with the Uno reconfigurable motorcycle, the Uno Bolt is actually more similar to the Rhyno one-wheeler.

Its 1,000-watt motor is powered by a removable 60-volt/4.4-Ah lithium battery, that can be fully recharged in 45 minutes. One charge takes the rider approximately 25 miles (40 km) at a top speed of 22 mph (35 km/h).

The Uno Bolt has a top speed of 22 mph (35 km/h)
Uno Bolt

The vehicle weighs in at 45 lb (20 kg), and can carry a maximum payload of 280 lb (127 kg). Riders just lean forward to move ahead, lean back to slow down, and pull the brake lever to stop – that lever is also used to go in reverse.

Some of the scooter's other features include dual tail lights and a 1,000-lumen headlight, an electric horn, a built-in parking stand (the thing that extends out from the back of the seat), gripped footrests that can be folded in for storage, and an 18 by 10-inch tire that can reportedly handle light off-road duty.

If you're interested in getting a Uno Bolt of your own, it's currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of US$999 will get you one, when and if they reach production. The estimated retail price is $1,499.

The scooter can be seen in action, in the video below.

Sources: Uno Bolt, Kickstarter

View gallery - 4 images
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7 comments
Leonard Foster Jr
Not Bad. make one without a Tank wheel you can take on a bus or train.
Dan Lewis
I would ask 'How important is making a positive impression?' If it is important, then scrap this video and start again. 1. SMILE. Sheesh! 2. Use a personal mic! No hollow amateurish poop! Audio is IMPORTANT! 3. Better lighting! Why look like a 'fly by night', 'also ran', 'soon to be gone' company? At least LOOK successful if only during the shooting of this video.
jerryd
Something to think about is there are no laws for 1 wheel vehicles. I'd certainly ride this onto a bus, train, store as a wheelchair even if I wasn't handicapped. I had to stop riding MCs as I couldn't hold them up though long light cycles. But this could work for me.
Nelson Hyde Chick
Why walk when you can sit on one of these and get fatter?
Imran Sheikh
I see a Nice,To the Point, and Rugged Design.. Good Job.. although i would also suggest to use a good actor(to speak for product) for video and for your demonstrations..
Henry Seedhall
Very clever design, especially for the day and age with one wheel machines; which usually are stand up contraptions. That big tire makes sense, easier to stay on compared to those swill tires on them devices called hoverboards. I live in New York so this would be great in the city. I'll give it a try, reasonably priced.
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is really neat. I think it would be neat for inner city travel and short commutes on back roads.
It reminds me of the one on the movie The Lorax (not the animated short one but the full movie length animated version). It's wheel was round but that could be a future version of the one above?