The concept of riding on a single wheel isn’t new. Although the form factors for a vehicle with wheels (bicycles, tricycles, cars, or even carriages) have been pretty much established for around two hundred years (or more, in the case of carriages), the idea of riding on a single wheel has persisted through the years.
In the 1860s, a patent was granted for a pedal-powered monowheel. It looked strange and was wildly impractical. Looking at it, you’d be tempted to ask, ‘Why?’ But when it comes to human inventions, the better question would be, ‘Why not?’
People have always experimented with imaginative and, sometimes, outlandish designs for their modes of transport since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Look at the penny-farthing bicycle, with its ridiculously large wheel at the front partnered with a small rear wheel. Another example is the dicycle, with its two parallel wheels.
A more modern example is the Segway, which failed to revolutionize transportation, contrary to its supporters’ claim. Modern monowheels, however, have made impressive advancements in terms of design, power, and maneuverability.
Here are a few things you need to know about the new iterations of the electric monowheel:
1. Monowheels Are No Longer Mere Novelties
There may be other stabler and safer means of transport, but the monowheel is a concept that kept coming back in one form or another.
Modern monowheels, which are essentially vehicles with one wheel that runs single-tracked, have all been upgraded, thanks to modern technology. Now, they have powerful electric motors, self-balancing technology, and other bells and whistles for easier handling. As a result, they’ve been transformed from curiosities and novelties to something approaching a legitimate mode of transportation, like this onewheel off road skateboard.
2. Modern Monowheels Have Different Variations
Aside from the original monowheel design, which features one large wheel with the driver inside, like a hamster or a gerbil, there are already several variations of the monowheel nowadays. There’s the monowheel skateboard, the monowheel scooter, and the monowheel electric motorcycle. These monowheel variants are becoming popular in cities.
Many young urban dwellers are attracted to the aesthetics of these modern one-wheeled personal transportation. Besides, modern monowheels are electric-powered, so they attract the environmentally-conscious crowd. These consumers are more likely to lead healthy, active lifestyles and are more aware of the benefits of owning a onewheel.
3. Building Monowheels Are Now Feasible
Mostly because of the availability of cost-effective electric motors and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, manufacturing monowheels is now feasible. Accelerometers and gyroscopes have also become relatively easy to acquire compared to the era before smartphones. The confluence of various technologies helped the monowheel evolved from one single giant wheel that made the rider look like a rodent to a sleeker, easier-to-handle personal transportation.
Moreover, there had also been advances in self-balancing technology. All these technologies contributed to making monowheels stylish personal vehicles with multi-directional capability.
4. Monowheels Were Once Thought To Eventually Replace Cars
The early version of the electric monowheel became so popular in the 1930s that it was predicted to be the future of transportation. One popular magazine, at the time, stated that the sight of monowheels would be as common as cars on the highway. However, inherent design problems of the monowheel proved too much to overcome.
For one thing, stability was a huge issue. The single wheel had to be responsible for both steering and propulsion. Unfortunately, the technology to make this possible wasn’t available at the time yet. Moreover, it would take a considerable amount of skill for a rider to remain upright on a monowheel.
Some designers tried to address this by making a broader wheelbase. But they have to wait several decades for the proper technology to finally manufacture viable models of the monowheel.
Today, modern electric monowheels have their niche in the personal transport sector. And, although monowheels have tremendously improved, they’re no longer touted as replacements for cars.
5. Shallower Learning Curve
Learning to use a modern electric monowheel, such as the monowheel skateboard, can be fairly easy, especially if you already know how to skateboard. Unlike a skateboard, however, you won’t have to kick at the pavement to propel yourself. The monowheel will do it for you because it has its own propulsion system.
Put your feet on either side of the board with the wheel in the middle. To move forward, you have to lean forward a little; for backward, lean backward. Sensors inside the monowheel will adjust your speed, which will depend on how much you shift your weight. Fairly simple, right?
Although gyros and accelerometers will help keep your balance, you still have to watch your heel-to-toe action to maintain balance. Your heels and toes will also help you maneuver the electric monowheel.
The giant monowheel vehicle didn’t gain popular acceptance because riding it was as difficult as riding a unicycle. Perhaps more so, because it was riskier. You’d have to train for it as the learning curve is quite steep. Cars, on the other hand, were easier to drive.
But a powerful electric motor and the addition of a few modern technologies made the learning curve much easier to conquer. As a result, modern electric monowheels are experiencing a resurgence of some sort.
Conclusion
Monowheels have always existed in one form or another since the 19th century. But because of design problems, they didn’t gain popular acceptance as predicted by some enthusiasts.
However, advancements in technology made it possible for monowheels to become stabler and more maneuverable. Today, there are several variants of the monowheel that are becoming more popular among the young and active city dwellers.
