Gliding along pathways, grinding along rails and… oh, walking down the stairs. There are some obstacles not even a skateboard can clear, which is why Royal College of Art graduate Po-Chih Lai has designed a skateboard that can go down stairs.
Called the Stair Rover, it takes the traditional skateboard design and tweaks the trucks at each end. On Lai’s skateboard, two sets of wheels can pivot, allowing the skateboard to keep moving even when it encounters the right-angles of steps.
The board itself is more flexible than most skateboard decks, too, which means that it can bend and glide as it gets hammered by uneven surfaces cropping up beneath it. Lai explains what he thinks the ‘board offers:
“Via the mechanism of combing climbing wheels, decks in the “Critical Space”, skaters will experience a new surfing joy and excitement. It increases the function of normal skateboards and extends the boundary of the city playground.”
The skateboard is current on diaplsy at the Royal College of Art as part of its Show RCA 2012 exhibit, which runs until 1 July. [Po-Chih Lai via Dezeen]
