Tag: foldable

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Personal Transportation

Smart Ped kick bike assists riders to travel farther, faster

While there are a variety of ways to get around city streets, all of the effective ones — bicycles and motorized scooters for starters — require all-or-nothing decisions due to their lack of portability. As such, the opportunity to combine them with multiple forms of public and private transportation to cover longer distances isn’t really there.

FlyKly is attempting to cover that middle ground with the only legal kick bike on the market: the Smart Ped. The minimally designed scooter’s standout feature is its all-in-one kick assist system that propels riders farther with every kick. In combination with its 16-inch wheels, Smart Ped aims to provide a smooth, less intensive, more comfortable ride, reaching speeds of up to 16 mph while doing so.

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Personal Transportation

Portable A-Bike Electric folds small enough for a backpack

While most people are far more comfortable on a bicycle than on anything else, it doesn’t mean most bicycles are suitable for the demands a busy city commute places on someone. Even the lightest bicycles can be ungainly to carry around and a pain to lock up everywhere, making them less than stellar options for getting around quickly.

The A-Bike Electric takes the compact nature of Sir Clive Sinclair’s original idea and supercharges it with a dual chain drive and brushless motor, featuring a 24V battery providing up to 15 miles of assisted pedaling even up hills. Its 26-pound foldable frame uses telescopic design in order to fold up into an extremely portable, place-it-in-a-bookbag form in about 10 seconds, making the A-Bike a worthy alternative to most commute cutting options. An A-Bike can be had for $900 provided its $76,000 campaign sees success by August 13th, 2015. Backers will be able to hop on and ride in October 2015.

The A-Bike Electric is successful at being compact, cleverly designed, and light while still retaining the familiarity with bicycles most people are comfortable with. Being able to take it along on the train or into a coffee shop is a convenience would prefer versus leaving a bicycle unattended outside. The Impossible E-Bike attempted something similar but ultimately never materialized, leaving a huge gap for products like the A-Bike Electric to be successful.

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Aquatics

Take the possibility of adventure anywhere with the Coast foldable kayak

Facilitating meaningful adventure is not only about what kind of gear someone has, but the passion they have in doing so. With that said, it never hurts to have functional, thoughtfully designed gear to complements that passion.

The Coast series is a set of two kayaks, the Coast and the Coast+, exactly for that purpose. Their claim to fame lies in their origami-esque design, allowing both 16 foot kayaks to fold up into boxes just 32 x 15 x 18 large. This lets users store one in a closet, a trunk, or even check it in on plane to avoid heft kayak rental fees. This design also contributes to its 34 pound weight, its massive 180 liters of storage, its max load of 400 pounds, and top speeds of 5.36 knots.

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Categories
Furniture

The BU Desk lets you create your own desk space

It’s reminiscent of those old typing tables from the days before computers. Except that The BU Desk offers more versatility and has a more esthetically appealing design. BU Desk allows users to customize their desk for their specific needs. Besides functioning as a standard desk, it can also work as an elevated drawing board, easel, offer a duel computer monitor space, function as a social space for games, or a place to gather for small group meetings. In addition, it folds up to be stored away easily.

The dimensions of the desk are not clearly indicated, and it looks as though it may need to be secured to a wall rather than being self-standing, making it much less convenient. Backers may also want to check out the Zestdesk portable desk, Lappito, and iTray campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise €35,000 (~$43,600) by December 24, 2014. Backers can get the basic kit for €165 (~$210). Larger contributions get more options. Expected delivery is May 2015.

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Personal Transportation

Ion Smartscooter looks like non-electric models, gets you on your way

The last miles of any commute are some of the most painful. Who wants to walk twenty minutes at the very beginning of the day or after having worked eight hours every day? Although there are some solutions, bikes and scooters are either too bulky to transport easily or too dirty in terms of fuel.

Probity Cell LLC has created the ion SmartScooter as a low-cost, clean alternative that will get you where you need to go, fast. It’s top speed of 15mph is powered by a lithium-ion battery that charges in three and a half hours and lasts for more than 1,000 cycles, ensuring a long and sustainable life. In addition, its foldable nature makes it so that it can be more easily transported than a bike, especially because it only weighs 26 pounds. The ion SmartScooter joins scads of other personal transportation devices like the Me-Mover and Halfbike.

The company is starting off slow with just two production runs, but they want to minimize any issues through their Kickstarter campaign. They were aiming for a modest $40,000 to do so, a goal that has shown interest by many. If they’re able to back up their claim of squeezing 500 miles out of the scooter for less than a dollar’s worth of electricity, they’ll be able to convince many more to grab one of their own for the introductory price of $399.

 

 

Categories
Personal Transportation

Movpak goes from backpack to powered skateboard to conquer your commute

The Premise. Commuting to and from work in a car is bad for the environment. Those who can opt to use public transportation. However, this isn’t always the most convenient way, and some are stuck walking quite a bit to get to where they need to go. For those who are a bit lazier, driving becomes the more attractive option even if public transportation is available.

The Product. Movpak is a combination backpack and electric skateboard. What? Yes. It functions as a normal backpack, but when some help is needed to get somewhere, a foldable skateboard is released. Running on a battery, the skateboard goes up to 15mph with a range of about 9 miles. It’s rechargeable and takes two hours to juice up. With its battery, the backpack can also charge your devices on the go. The power for the board is controlled through a wireless remote. In terms of appearance, the backpack looks like any normal backpack, as does the skateboard.

The Pitch. Movpak’s campaign video shows commuters using the product in different settings. Some hop on after getting off the subway, while others putter around campus. Different riders in the video show how easily the skateboard attachment pops in and out of the backpack. This Kickstarter Staff Pick hopes to raise $100,000 in a 38-day campaign.

The Perks. Early birdies can get the Movpak for either $999 or $1,190. At a regular price of, $1,340 backers get the Movpak along with an extra backpack with choice of color. Movpak’s are expected to be delivered by May 2015.

The Potential. Personal transportation devices have become all the rage, especially electric ones. Many are rethinking the bicycle model for something a bit smaller and more portable. Scooters like the Halfbike and Me-Mover think that stand-up trikes are the solution, while others like Marbel prefer the electric skateboard model. Other products, like the Commute-Case combination scooter and briefcase, have kept the commuter in mind and combined cargo with transportation as the Movpak has done. One of the great things about Movpak is its sleek look and portability. The campaign fails to mention how heavy the Movpak is exactly, but carrying it on one’s back makes a heavier weight easier to tote around. Some may feel unsteady on a skateboard with no handle for balance, however, for college students and young professionals, Movpak is a great way to get around with lots of stuff.