
Hereโs a potential game-changer: a two-wheeled, in-line motorcycle that wonโt tip over, even if you try to knock it down. The team at Lit Motors envisions a world where nobodyโs afraid to ride motorcycles because theyโre as safe and intuitive as climbing into a car. At Maker Faire theyโre showing off a prototype electric bike thatโs stabilized by a gyroscope, as well as a beautiful concept bike with a fully enclosed cockpit called the C-1. They promise their futurebike โwill employ H2V, H2C, V2I, and V2V connectivityโ so it can automatically respond to traffic, road condition, and weather data.
But the self-balancing technology is where the excitement is. They spun up the gyros on the prototype and CTO Kevin Bretney let me give it a shove. Itโs amazing to feel the bike shove back. The gyros swings on gimbals in response to attitude changes, immediately rebalancing the bike in response to your touch. The team explained that when the gyroscopes are fully weighted, itโll take 5,000 pounds of force to push the bike over: โThatโs like a rhino or small elephant!โ Check it out in the West Lot.
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