I came across this article the other day and my inner sci-fi geek thinks it’s just too cool to not pass along! It’s definitely not a design that will hit mainstream, but it plays to my imagination. If you saw this being demonstrated at a rally, wouldn’t you want to try it out?? -RK
Art Center College of Design shows Yamaha-branded wearable motorcycle concept
Challenged to rethink motorcycle transportation, Art Center College of Design student Jake Loniak decided the idea of a machine as an extension of the body should be taken literally. Inspired by Biomechatronics and called the Deus Ex Machina (not to be confused with that other Deus Ex Machina from Australia), Loniak’s concept is an electric, vertically parking motorcycle controlled by 36 pneumatic muscles with 2 linear actuators.
The Yamaha-branded Deus Ex concept is worn as an exo-skeleton with seven artificial vertebra as well as the pneumatically attached helmet. The motor is in-wheel, powered by ultra-capacitors and doped nano-phoshpate batteries similar to those already used in hybrids. It’s also capable of 0–60mph in three seconds. Top speed is 75mph with a recharge time of 15 minutes and cycle time of one hour.
As an exercise in urban transportation, we love the engagement a machine like the Deus would require. That said, the lack of storage or securement for a briefcase, purse or satchel means that even the average urban commute is beyond the Deus Ex Machina’s current capabilities.
Source: Hell For Leather magazine, written by Grant Ray