Weird & Wonderful
Futuristic Concepts
From concussion indicators to scuba power to HUD goggles - The wild and weird world of concepts, some very creative ideas, more than a little foof and touches of genius.
REEBOK CHECKLIGHT CONCUSSION INDICATOR
LED lights hang out of the back of the helmet and the color indicates the force of the blow.
With sports concussions in the news, Reebok has introduced the $150 Checklight, a head impact indicator. It’s a skullcap that you wear during sports while its built-in sensors monitor the impacts experienced during those activities. Using a red (bad), yellow (medium), and green (good-to-go), LED-system, the Checklight gives coaches and team managers a visual display of physical impact during sports. Because the lights hang off the bottom of the cap where they're in plain sight, coaches or team managers will be able see if an athlete needs to be evaluated further. The microprocessor also logs the number of impacts it receives over time.
LED lights hang out of the back of the helmet and the color indicates the force of the blow.
With sports concussions in the news, Reebok has introduced the $150 Checklight, a head impact indicator. It’s a skullcap that you wear during sports while its built-in sensors monitor the impacts experienced during those activities. Using a red (bad), yellow (medium), and green (good-to-go), LED-system, the Checklight gives coaches and team managers a visual display of physical impact during sports. Because the lights hang off the bottom of the cap where they're in plain sight, coaches or team managers will be able see if an athlete needs to be evaluated further. The microprocessor also logs the number of impacts it receives over time.
SUZUKI EXTRIGGER ELECTRIC PLAY BIKE
The electric Extrigger.
The Suzuzki Extrigger Concept bike, which isn’t scheduled for production yet, boasts fore and aft light-emitting devices that transmit information via complex blinking... for no reason that we can think of.
The battery plugs into the gas tank—which doesn’t hold gas.
The aluminum-framed machine comes with inverted forks, mag wheels, disc brakes and 136.7 pound dry weight. The electric motor comes from Panasonic.
KAWASAKI J
It changes as you ride it.
The electric-powered Kawasaki “J” concept features two narrow front wheels and one larger rear wheel. In motion the “J's” handlabrs and riding position can transform from a road-racer stance to a comfortable riding position. In performance-mode, the front wheels and handlebars move closer together, and rider and bike-height drops closer to the road.
YAMAHA TRICITY
Why didn't Honda just turn the ATC 90 around backwards?
The Yamaha Tricity, like the Kawasaki “J” comes with three-wheels, but it lighter and smaller. It weighs around 300 pounds and is powered by a 125cc four-stroke engine with an automatic transmission.
CATERHAM ELECTRIC BICYCLES
Caterham Seven 160.
You may have heard of Caterham sports cars. They make a retro continuation of the classic Lotus Seven. After Lotus ended production of the Lotus Seven, in 1972, Caterham bought the rights to the design, and today make both kits and fully assembled cars.
Caterham Classic e-bike cruiser.
But you probably have not heard of Caterham electric bicycles. They make two bicycle models: (1) The Classic e-bike cruiser with 1920’s board track styling and (2) the Carbon e-bike with a 36-Volt, 250 Watt brushless motor, feeding its power through an eight-speed Shimano Nexus gear hub.
Caterham Carbon e-bike.
Power comes from Panasonic 36 V, 12 Ah lithium batteries (and an optional second battery pack can be added if desired). For more info go towww.caterhambikes.com
BRIDGESTONE AIRLESS-TIRES
No air. No flats. Lots of offroad potential.
Bridgestone Airless-Tires spokes are constructed from a thermoplastic resin combined with a rubber tread. if this seems far-fetched read below.
POLARIS NPT TECHNOLOGY
Offroad potential realized.
The Polaris Sportsman WV850 H.O. is the first production vehicle to come with airless tires–what Polaris calls Non-Pneumatic Tire (NPT) technology. The “Terrain Armor” tires can never go flat, will work even if 30 percent of their honeycomb design is broken.
DAVE MILLER CONCEPTS CR85-POWERED TACO MINI BIKE
Just your basic 25-horsepower, CR85-powered, old-school Taco mini bike from Dave Miller at DMC.
To see more of Dave’s handiwork go towww.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Miller-Concepts/137383096290268
HEADS UP DISPLAY GOGGLES
Oakley’s Airwave HUD (Heads Up Display) goggles connect to your smartphone and displays speed, navigation, GPS, music, phone calls, text, jump height, air time and distance. The technology comes from Recon. The Oakley Airwave HUD display is shown in front of your right eye. The goggles currently being tested for skiing and cost $800.
SCUBA-POWERED YAMAHA 02 PURSUIT
Yamaha 02 Pursuit.
Built on a loaner Yamaha WR250, the O2 Pursuit looks like any other off-road bike, but its power comes from compressed air stored in a scuba diving tank hidden under the bodywork. It is powered by DiPietro air rotary engine. Range is reportedly 60 miles and it has been clocked at 87 mph.
NEW LIFE FOR OLD CROSS ENGINES
Honda CR500.
Rafik Kaissi, who immigrated to the United States from civil-war-torn Lebanon to Austin, Texas, creates working motorcycles from junked bikes.
2009 Yamaha YZ450F.
They may not be very practical, but Rafik loves to work with motocross engines like the Honda CR500 two-stroke and 2009 Yamaha YZ450F engines pictured here. See more at www.rkconcepts.com
