When a Swedish newspaper publicized a year ago that there were more than 200 electric scooters lying at the bottom of the Malmö canals, four designers banded together to solve the problem, creating a company called Andra Formen, or “Second Form” in Swedish.

“We let others’ bad decisions inspire us and take our starting point in mistakes when we start a new project. How could a material, a place, or a phenomenon be made differently? Could [it] be done better?” the team writes on their website.

They started by enlisting the aid of two brave divers to fish abandoned two-wheelers out of the murky water. “Some of them had barnacles growing on them,” co-founder Christian Svensson notes. The designers estimated that many of electric transporters hadn’t even survived a year of usefulness before being ditched in the seaway.

After giving each scooter a good scrub, the team took them apart and laid out their inventory of components, looking for design revelations. The result is a collection of desk and floor lamps, a chair, a hydroponic planter, and a grill, all under the name “E-metabolism.”

“Our mission is to turn toxic waste in the form of electric scooters from the bottom of the canal into pieces of art,” adds Oskar Olsson, who designed many of the pieces himself. He adds: “We tried to stay true to the shapes of the scooters. Some even have dents and scratches, and they tell a story about the life it had before.”

Olsson and Svesson, along with partners Jingbei Zheng and Peder Nilsson, used the original parts as much as possible: a dead battery for the base of the floor lamp, handlebars and decks for the chair legs and seat, hubcaps as a base for the desk lamp, and handlebars for the lamp neck and head. Connector pieces from the cast-off scooters fashion the furniture together, with a few bits of 3D-printed material here and there tying it all together.

The aesthetic of the pieces has a colorful modern feel with an air of recycled chic, keeping the original hues and branding from the salvaged Voi, Bolt, and Tier scooters. While the playfully quirky furniture would be difficult to scale up based on the limited supply of scooters from waterway graveyards, the intention behind the work is a helpful reminder of our responsibility to preserve natural resources.

“We wanted to show that you can actually do something with waste,” says Svensson. “It doesn’t need to go to the dump.”

The group adds that “With this project we want to challenge our contemporaries to look past environmental degradation and see how today’s materials can be resources tomorrow.”

All the repurposed products in the E-metabolism line are on display on the Andre Formen website, with prices ranging from $200 to $800. Interested parties must fill out an email form for potential purchases.

The post Sunken E-Scooters Get New Life as Recycled Furniture first appeared on Dornob.

Likely taking cues from Smacircle, a company that produced a popular electric folding bike, industrial designer Rice Mak showcased plans on Behance for a “Mini Folding Electric Scooter” under the company’s name that would fit right into their repertoire.

The actual Smacircle electric Folding Mobility bike can fold down to about the size of a tennis racket and weighs just 15 pounds. It can run at a top speed of roughly 13 miles per hour and carry someone weighing up to 220 pounds. While those specs are impressive, Guangzhou-based Mak seems to have invented an even more compact mode of transportation that could be that much easier to carry around.

Mak says he was trying to solve the “last kilometer” problem when creating this concept. In most large urban cities, car traffic is horrendous, so many residents or commuters rely on the well-linked subway systems instead. However, data shows that the average distance between each subway station and the riders’ destinations is still approximately one to two kilometers (0.6 miles to 1.2 miles). Having a foldable electric scooter would make things a lot easier for these people, allowing them to easily carry it onto the subway and unfold it outside for quick use. Owners of the Smacircle scooter could also head into the bike lane, avoiding foot traffic while still keeping up with vehicles in their path.

Thanks to the scooter’s three hinge points (one on the foot plate, one at the front wheel, and one in the hand support bar), it could then get folded down to be stored away at the office or in a backpack. Images give us a better look at just how narrow the scooter’s build is, and the folded size looks to be no more than about two feet, maybe less.

As an added benefit, the e-scooter’s schematics also highlight built-in shock absorbers, making for an all around more comfortable ride and enhancing its maneuverability.

To measure speed, battery life, and mileage, the Smacircle scooter plans call for a digital display panel on the handlebars. A USB socket is also included on this panel so you can easily charge your devices on the go. And for safety, the scooter also boasts a pair of powerful high beam headlights to help riders navigate dark city streets. Finally, a kickstand makes it easy to keep the scooter upright when not in folded mode.

While the designer (also a self-described graffiti artist) doesn’t give specs on the speed or weight of this folding scooter concept, if taken on by Smacircle, it would likely have similar measurements to their folding e-bike, which itself has a rechargeable lithium battery that can travel 13 miles on a single charge. And of course, it’ll still provide faster transportation than walking even when the battery runs out, as it can always be used as a traditional kick scooter.

This isn’t Mak’s first foray into green transportation design. His Behance page features his previous creative plans for an X-Motos electric off-road motorcycle, an electric folding childrens’ balance bike, and even an electric golf caddy.

The post Mini Electric Scooter Folds Down to a Third of Its Size for Extreme Mobility first appeared on Dornob.

Combining “soft robotics technology” with mobility devices like scooters, wheelchairs, and motorcycles, Poimo aims to offer soft, safe, and lightweight rideable creations that can be easily carried around as necessary. Their latest offering, created in collaboration with Kawahara Lab/Niiyama Lab of the University of Tokyo and Mercari R4D, is a scooter that weighs just 5.5 kilograms and can be folded into a reasonably-sized backpack.

The scooter’s inflatable body is made of a durable thermoplastic polyurethane attached to an electronic and mechanical base which includes the electric motor, handlebars, battery, front and rear wheels, and a wireless controller. It takes just five minutes to get it ready to ride. The Poimo’s creators have already tested it in Tokyo, and for now it at least seems like it actually works.

They explain that “this mobility [scooter] aims to support the first mile / last mile and connect public transportation and destinations seamlessly. To reduce the weight of its body along with its inflatable structure, we have developed a wireless / battery-less powering system suitable for this mobility in cooperation with the wireless power transfer group.”

Poimo’s other equally weird and cool creation is a customizable inflatable vehicle that acts as both a manual wheelchair and an electric motorcycle. In this case, even the wheels are inflatable. They’re definitely a few steps beyond folding bikes in terms of portability, but one wonders just how long they’d last in real-world conditions on the road. Info about this particular model has disappeared from the company’s website, but you can still see how it works in the YouTube video above.

The creators add that they “developed the personal mobility Poimo with a balloon structure that can be designed to suit each individual simply by taking a riding pose. We have prototyped an electric motorcycle type and a manual wheelchair type that can be completely folded when the air is removed. By developing a new vehicle whose body and wheels are made of balloon structure, it has become possible for the first time to customize each vehicle one by one. Newly developed design software makes it easy for anyone to design personal mobility.”

“The light and soft Poimo, which can be deflated and folded, opens up a new field of personal mobility. Taking advantage of being custom-made for each individual, we will contribute to the realization of an inclusive society where everyone can acquire the means of transportation that suits them.”

This invention in particular seems to present an intriguing potential step forward in accessibility: allowing a wheelchair user to seamlessly transition from indoor use to outdoor commuting, going just as fast as anyone else on the road. Whether “Poimo” is really the answer is up for debate, but it’s a great example of thinking outside the box that could lead to more practical innovations in the near future. For more details on how it works, check out the press release from Mercari.

The post Poimo: Inflatable Wheelchair Transforms Into an Electric Motorcycle first appeared on Dornob.

First thing’s first: check out that silhouette. The UJET’s faceted alloy and carbon fiber bodywork give it a futuristic edge, and its cool spokeless orbital wheels are equipped with single-wall carbon nanotube tires. The scooter weighs just 95 pounds and folds up so it’s easy to take on public transit or throw into your trunk, taking up very little space when stored.

“Our wheel design has been drawing significant attention,” says Hugues Desires, CEO of UJET International. “The spokeless orbital wheel includes a suspension system and larger-diameter lightweight brakes, which offer a smooth ride, and the in-wheel electric motor combines optimized size with [the] powerful performance of 5.44 horsepower and 90 N.m (Newton meter) torque, ensuring great acceleration in any conditions. The first nano-augmented wheel to ever hit the market, UJET’s approach to tire design will make navigating a city landscape easier and safer than ever before.”

But looks are just the beginning. One of the most interesting aspects of the UJET scooter is its connectivity, which gives riders an unprecedented level of control over its operation and maintenance. A smartphone app allows users to lock, unlock, and locate the scooter, as well as activate an alarm and disable it remotely if it’s stolen. If the scooter is moved without permission, you’ll get a notification and step-by-step directions on how to find it.

An array of 20 digital sensors monitors the scooter’s diagnostics, including battery level, mileage, and the amount of carbon emissions saved versus driving a car the same distance. The UJET’s voice-controlled app also enables the rider to stream music, place calls, navigate, and even record video using a front-facing HD camera.

The scooter features two swappable battery packs in different sizes, with an estimated range between 43 and 93 miles per charge, respectively. Both batteries are about the size of a rolling suitcase, so you can easily tote one or both along whenever you need extra juice. All that’s required to charge the UJET is a standard power outlet; the charging cable stores conveniently inside the seat.

The scooter’s official website reads: “Technology lies at the heart of our vision to pioneer the future of urban mobility. Smart connectivity, precise engineering, leading electronics, and advanced composite materials come together to make our dream of futuristic mobility a reality. Technology can be beautiful. Form and function meet to create an amazing machine. We believe that beauty lies in union of practicality and design. We believe in freedom of movement and expression. We innovate to enable city lovers to move anywhere and anytime, always in style.”

“The UJET is our answer to the need for a high-tech and stylish urban mobility solution. With today’s and tomorrow’s issues in mind, we created a futuristic solution that works seamlessly within the existing infrastructure and fits any lifestyle.”

The UJET is expected to hit the US market by the end of 2018, with a price tag starting at $8,900.

The post UJET: Silent Electric Scooter Boasts a Removable Bluetooth Speaker first appeared on Dornob.

The Whiteshark MixPro is a small, lightweight double-propeller device that can reach up to four miles per hour and last up to 60 minutes per charge. Clearly, this thing is ideal for checking out natural bodies of water, but you can use it in the pool, too.

Two speed options let you zoom around at either 1.2 or 1.8 meters per second, and a designated phone mount (used with the WhiteShark MixPro waterproof phone case) and universal mount for action cameras make it possible to film the entire experience. An attachable selfie stick will even widen up your shot if you want the camera facing you instead of capturing your view.

The scooter also features a waterproof LED light so you can always see where you’re going, no matter how deep you manage to dive. A detachable floater makes it easier for use by kids and people with limited upper body strength, but you can take always it off and let the propellers do all the work if you want to descend more than a couple meters below the surface.

That’s where the handiness of this device seems to really come in. Not all of us are accomplished free divers, and getting deep enough to see things like coral reefs without scuba equipment or worrying about making it back up to the surface can be intimidating. It would be pretty cool to experiment with one of these things to see just how much it could boost your underwater range.

The WhiteShark MixPro can be used up to five meters deep with the floater, or 40 meters (over 130 feet!) without it. It gradually speeds up when you press the two trigger buttons simultaneously, and the dual trigger button lock will keep you from accidentally thrusting forward when you don’t mean to. It’s resistant to salt corrosion, its lithium-ion batteries fully recharge in just two hours, and the whole thing is small enough to chuck into a suitcase for those vacations we’re all hoping to take just as soon as it’s safe to travel again.

The MixPro’s official crowdfunding page reads: “Bring your WhiteShark MixPro on all your adventures! WhiteShark MixPro’s portable lithium battery is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to take on board all flights. WhiteShark MixPro is the smallest double propeller underwater scooter on the market. Lightweight yet powerful, WhiteShark MixPro only weighs 3.55 kg (7.82 lbs). Easily pack it in your backpack and take your portable companion on all your adventures.”

Made by Sublue, a company known for its research and development of underwater robots, the WhiteShark MixPro just successfully completed a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, so it’ll probably be available to the public later this year. It comes in white or black with gold trim. The “beginner pack” comes with one 122Wh battery included at an MSRP of $699, or you can get various combo packages that come with extra batteries, selfie extension sticks, waterproof backpacks, and other add-ons for anywhere between $849 and $1,199.

The post This Underwater Scooter Turbo-Charges Your Swimming Speed first appeared on Dornob.

Quite possibly the quirkiest thing to come out of the big royal wedding was a one-off wonder of portable living, part serious, part joke, but one hundred percent British on both fronts. Its creators at ETA.UK boast it is so small that if you need supplies you can just tow it with you into the supermarket.

This teardrop-shaped, battery-powered little beauty features everything a good English staycation requires: kettle, teacups and drinks cabinet of course, as well as a flat-screen television and radio (for those following the nuptials) and a full-sized bed.

Options include: solar roof panels, air horn and extra-wide wing mirror for mobility scooter, satellite dish, gaming console, central heating, external luggage rack, bespoke paint.

Unlike larger caravans requiring full-sized trucks (or at least cars) to tow them, this one works with a low-speed mobility scooter for the elderly or disabled. Note: this is not actually for sale, but still, what a concept!

“Elderly spectators hoping to bag the best spot on the Royal Wedding procession route, but unwilling to spend a night camping on the pavement, can now buy a caravan designed to be towed by a mobility scooter. The QTvan is small enough to be used on the pavement or even inside shops, but manages to accommodate a full-size bed and television.”

“The £5,500 QTvan is the world’s smallest caravan and is so named because it caters to three peculiarly British obsessions: queuing, tea and caravans. As well as a 19” television on which to watch the ceremony highlights, and a drinks cabinet with which to toast the happy couple, the tiny caravan boasts tea-making facilities – essential for a royal day out. If any extra provisions are needed, the caravan is so compact it can be towed inside a supermarket.

The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) developed the QTvan to highlight the estimated 220,000 people who use a mobility scooter without breakdown cover and face the prospect of a very long wait should they suffer a mechanical fault or their battery runs flat.”

The post Tiny Caravan Towed by a Mobility Scooter first appeared on Dornob.