Japanese engineer develops world’s first ‘car in a bag’
A Japanese engineer has developed a portable transporter small enough to be carried in a backpack that he says is the world’s first ‘car in a bag’.
The slender ‘WalkCar’, made from aluminium and weighs between 2- 3 kilograms can hold up to 120kgs.
The car can easily fit in a bag hence, parking is not required.
Twenty-six-year-old Kuniako Saito and his team at Cocoa Motors recently unveiled the lithium battery-powered ‘WalkCar’ transporter, which is the size of a laptop and resembles a skateboard more than a car.
Saito expects to see many other uses for his transporter, as he says it has enough power to help people push wheelchairs with ease.
The car reaches top speeds of 10 kilometers per hour (6.2 miles per hour), for distances of up to 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) after three hours of charging.
Its developer says it’s extremely simple to ride. Once the rider stands on it the WalkCar starts automatically, while simply stepping off stops the vehicle.
To change direction, the user just shifts their weight.
The developer, Saito says customers will be able to reserve their own WalkCars from autumn 2015 on the crowd-funding website Kickstarter.
It will have a price-tag of around 800USD. For those interested the shipping is expected to begin by spring 2016