{"id":650179,"date":"2013-04-02T17:57:19","date_gmt":"2013-04-02T21:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.ted.com\/?p=74067"},"modified":"2013-04-02T17:57:19","modified_gmt":"2013-04-02T21:57:19","slug":"9-transportation-devices-that-could-make-your-commute-far-more-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/650179","title":{"rendered":"9 transportation devices that could make your commute far more fun"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Boosted-Board-2\"<\/p>\n

A TED2013 attendee takes a ride on a Boosted Board. Photo: Michael Brands<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When engineering grad students Sanjay Dastoor, John Ulmen and Matthew Tran met at Stanford University, they lamented the fact that there was no good way to get around campus. And so, they invented one: a longboard skateboard fashioned with an electric motor.<\/p>\n

\"SanjaySanjay Dastoor: A skateboard, with a boost<\/span><\/a>In today\u2019s talk<\/a>, given at TED2013, the three give demo their Boosted Boards — which charge off a wall outlet, run for 1,000 kilometers on a dollar\u2019s worth of electricity and are powerful enough to go\u00a0up the famous hills of San Francisco at 10 miles per hour.\u00a0They are small enough to be carried in hand and have a battery range of six miles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat covers half of the car trips in U.S. alone,\u201d explains Dastoor.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fascinating concept — one that would make any skateboard-enthusiast a happy commuter. To see the boards in action, watch this high-energy talk<\/a>. And below, see several more unusual vehicles that could someday greatly improve the morning commute.<\/p>\n

\"Hiriko\"A car that folds
\n<\/b>Mentioned in Kent Larson\u2019s TEDx Talk \u201cBrilliant designs to fit more people in every city<\/a>,\u201d the Hiriko is a tiny two-person vehicle that folds in order to minimize its parking footprint. Three of these small vehicles can fit into one traditional parking space — which would greatly alleviate one of the biggest hassles of car ownership.\u00a0As the Hiriko website explains<\/a>, these vehicles are 100% electric and maneuver by spinning — which is just really cool.<\/b><\/p>\n

\"NCycle\"An electric bike with handlebars that become a lock
\n<\/b>Several electric bicycles are already on the market, even though they aren\u2019t legal in every city. However, the nCycle<\/a> is a particularly stylish and smart approach to the concept, which design blog Core77 brought to our attention<\/a>. Designed with its battery inside a space-age frame, it\u2019s meant to be both sturdy and lightweight. It\u2019s handlebars morph into a lock and it has speakers in the back headlights.<\/p>\n

\"Unicycles\"A motorcycle meets a unicycle
\n<\/b>Another design created for urban commuters, the RYNO<\/a>\u00a0(left) is a singe-wheel scooter that looks like something a gang in a sci-fi film would ride. Expected to go into production this year, this vehicle runs on a battery that takes an hour and a half to charge, and lets riders go, go, go for about 20 miles, according to Discovery.com<\/a>. This vehicle self-balances, but if you want the security of a second wheel — the BMW Halbo<\/a>\u00a0(right) may be the vehicle for you.<\/p>\n