Honda has been demoing its sitting Segways for years now, but the Hammacher Schlemmer version has one crucial advantage over them: it’s actually for sale. So instead of just being tantalized by a future where legs are an unnecessary human feature, we’re now officially living it.
You’ll pay dearly for the privilege of surrendering your need to stand — $2,700 to be exact — but just think of the money you’ll save with the reduced wear and tear on your shoes. Powered by a 500-watt electric motor, the self-balancing unicycle provides up to two hours of 13 mph thrills on a three-hour charge. It can support riders up to 250 pounds, but your mileage will vary depending on how close you get to that limit.
Like the Segway, accelerating and stopping the unicycle is accomplished by gently leaning forwards or back, and internal gyros prevent it from taking a nose dive. Keeping it balanced side-to-side is left up to the rider, however, so if you don’t know how to ride a bike, you’re not going to want to give this thing a try. But for everyone else, a future where bicycles, skateboards, inline skates, and even rolling office chairs are obsolete is finally upon us.
[Hammacher Schlemmer via 7Gadgets]