Written on May 23, 2008 – 7:52 am | by Bogdan Alex |
As if Segways are becoming obsolete and really need a replacement, Yamaha comes now with a new design that is supposed to make humans forget about walking or running.

Of course, nobody says this is going to get commercialized right away, but do we really need something like this? Art Center Pasadena student Jake Loniak thinks there’s always room for new types of human transportation. He closely studied exoskeletons and motorcycle concepts and combined these two into a Yamaha-branded Deus Ex Machina prototype.

The vehicle is powered via some sophisticated ultra-capacitors and doped with nano-phoshpate batteries (based on what hybrid cars use nowadays). The vehicle is quite intuitive, controlled using 36 pneumatic muscles with 2 linear actuators set along a spine consisting of seven artificial vertebrae. You even get a pneumatically-attached helmet.

If Yamaha ever intends to construct it, the designer believes that Deus Ex Machima could achieve a top speed of 75 mph (0-60mph in 3 seconds) with a recharge time of 15 minutes and batteries that last for 1 hour. The design looks quite promising, but Yamaha should also consider some storage compartment for us, so we can pack some bags and stuff if we plan to ride these things to picnics and weekend escapades.