Former Lilium designer debuts “highly athletic” wearable vehicle

Some argue that we are not far enough in the field of wearable vehicles. Probably not much, if anything, to glean from the reverberating silence that greeted this Hungarian wearable belted scooter when it went to Indiegogo for crowdfunding.

There were certainly fanciful design concepts, but if I had to name the leading edge of wearable vehicles, 2023’s top honors probably have to go to the ‘Buggy Rollin’ Rollerman suit. Desire for gravel, or moonwalker motor shoes.

The idea is nifty enough. It’s a very convenient form of transport and is designed so neatly that you hardly need to carry it around. But wearable vehicles tend to have two key problems, he said. It’s usually not very wearable and it doesn’t have much chops as a vehicle. Otherwise they are great.

I’ve seen Andrea Mocellin’s Munich-based design work before. He designed his very sleek folding 26-inch bicycle wheel called his Revolve in 2018 and developed the idea into a folding travel wheelchair called his Revolve Air. I was.

Prior to that, according to his LinkedIn, he was a senior designer for NIO, Granstudio, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Pininfarina, as well as a senior designer for one of the world’s most sexist eVTOL aircraft, the Lilium jet. . This looks like enough pedigree to bring it into the field of his wearable vehicles.

And then there’s the Exo-Line, a three-wheeled electric vehicle that balances the rider’s weight on a super-narrow chestrest and heads down the street. The ergonomics are challenging for the ladies and downright punitive for the gentlemen.

Place your feet on a pair of small pegs next to the rear wheel and move your arms forward to grab the two struts on the front wheel. It is said to “track body movements and translate them into vehicle directional commands.”

Or maybe not. “The vehicle is controlled with a standard joystick,” Mocellin said. Since this joystick is not visible in renders or prototype shots, our imaginations are running wild as to where it’s hidden and what exactly it manipulates.

The Exo-Line is powered by a lithium-ion battery and driven by an in-wheel hub motor. Caster type arrangement.

“We wanted to design a vehicle that goes back to the basics of a physically engaging riding experience,” says Mocellin. “The aim was to minimize the number of components in the vehicle to feel pure freedom and connection with the vehicle, and to glide quickly across the road following your pure instincts for steering, accelerating and braking. The wheels and cockpit follow the movement of the body, giving the driver the dramatic feeling of being part of the car.”

When you’re feeling less dramatic and part of a vehicle, it folds up into a backpack-like configuration. The straps aren’t immediately identifiable at this stage of the game, but they seem to have some sort of ergonomically shaped butt pad, which is always nice.

We admit to being unaware of the relevant industry standards as to exactly what constitutes a vehicle a “wearable,” but we assume Moselin is. It looks more intrusive and uncomfortable than a large sewing machine strapped to your back.

Mocellin used “off-the-shelf parts” to build the prototype. You can see it in action in his 8 seconds out of a total of 22 seconds in the video below, although it’s not detailed. A peaceful mountain shot adds a nice touch to the piece.

“It’s like flying over the road,” says Mocellin.

This brand new interaction with the vehicle is perhaps best illustrated by the close-up frames of the video. I have always felt that motorcycle racing is now a much better spectator sport than car racing. Because a rider’s body language can speak thousands of words to make the experience truly human, the same is true of his Exo-Line. This riding experience feels deep inside my humanity.

Designers at this stage (or perhaps still struggling to speak) have a say in peak power, top speed, range, price, production plans and how much the Exo Line actually weighs when worn. It’s closed. it wears you He also doesn’t mention a suspension system of any kind, so given the delicate, crushable, and less robust nature of some key areas of body contact, aim for smoother surfaces and curbs. It’s probably appropriate to recommend that you don’t jump out of the .

Source: Exoline