We love our mobile tech here at Unplggd and since we are on the topic of travel for the month of July, why not talk a bit about how we get around?
Cars are clogging up our city streets. If every one of those cars were to be switched to electric, we would still have the same number of cars on the road- we would probably have more since electricity is cheaper to run. The fact is, cars can adapt to multiple usage scenarios and that is why we use them... but is there another way?
Travel Month: Treadway Wearable Transportation
Public transit seems like a great solution. The problem is that while it sounds good on paper there are some cities where it is very difficult to use. A lot of the issues stem from not being able to get to and from train and bus stations.
What we are talking about is the "Last Mile". In short, the last mile is the cracks in the system. It is the distance between your house and the train, the bus and work, the local store and your home. It is any distance that is too far to walk and too short to drive.
Treadways are the glue to fill those cracks. They allow you to get from one place to another by adapting to all native forms of transit. You can ride a bike while wearing them, walk with them, even drive a car with them on. They take you to the local train station, from the parking spot that used to be so far from your office, and in-between the bus and train to enable efficient and total mobility.
Wireless hand controller
Part apparel, part transportation, Treadways are about becoming mobile.
Be your transportation.
"Motorized shoes”- that is the short answer. There is plenty out there to get you from point “A” to point “B”, but how many of these small mobility devices are comfortable enough to have with you all day? How many of them are usable with almost all other forms of transportation?
Prototypes
Imagine if you could just click in and out of a wearable vehicle. Wear them to get you from the train to a bus stop that used to be too far away from each other. Wear them to the corner store for some milk, eggs, a loaf of bread and some *cough* condoms. You can even wear them while driving your car. Wear them to and from work. At 3 lbs each foot, you can wear them all day, everywhere you go and you never have to leave them unattended.
Treadways are very simple: A special shoe, a motor, gearbox, circuitboard, and batteries. The throttle, brakes and taillights are directed by a wireless handheld controller. Transition from walking to scooting, effortlessly. Plug them in at work or at home and get a ten mile range at 10mph.
A previous design
Learn more here: TreadwayMobility.com
Take a look at a video.
Oh, and I am the designer...
So what do you guys think? How many of you would try this? Do you like the new leather design or the previous shiny one?
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Comments (6)
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Their logo/badge looks like someone in desperate need of a washroom... and I'm not entirely sure why people should be walking less. perhaps if it were marketed to aging genxers in the future, it might fly as a mobility device. whatever gets us one step closer to spock's rocket boots is good though.
view 19day's profile
Boom! Incredible! Yesterday at night, I was thinking about exactly the same thing. I love it! Build it! I'll buy it!
view mactechgeek's profile
Seriously!
view mactechgeek's profile
It would need some serious wheels - little bitty ones won't do a whole lot of good unless you're cruising up and down the halls of your retirement home. If it's about the distances to corner stores, etc, then you need to figure in cracked up sidewalks, uneven pavement, whatever.
And "special shoes" are probably not going to fly with most people. If the idea is to strap into wearable transportation on-the-go, it has to work with whatever you're wearing (within reason - hopefully no one would try using something like this with high heels on).
But I like the idea. Though it is a little reminiscent of those kids shoes with the pop-down wheel.
view tigerblade's profile
...in need of a washroom?!?!?!! hilarious! I never thought of that but it's kind of true and all the more endearing for being so. The original inspiration came from speed skaters... but I suppose they must pee like the rest of us.
The idea behind this is more to take you out of your car for those short distance trips- so it is not a replacement for walking. And in response to the concerns over uneven pavement, you are meant to segue between walking and rolling continuously. This is not a leisure activity, just a maximizing of range. You will walk MORE because you are using this during the time you would normally be in a car. In contrast to using a Segway, you are actively involved in maintaining balance and navigating through inconsistencies in the road/sidewalk.
This is kind of like using rollerblades- which, as anyone will tell you, does not cause your muscles to atrophe- quite the contrary.
BTW- "special shoes" does not mean moonboots, though these would probably sell more if it did;) There is a version that uses whatever shoes you are wearing ...can't give away all secrets;)
Thanks for the comments!
view Peter_Unplggd's profile
Or the logo is a guy with a giant ass from not walking.
And what is the deal with wearing them while on a bike? Does it pedal the bike too?
view wunami's profile