Early experiments with one-wheeled transport included a monocycle that was invented by Stuef and Langmark of California in 1895. It consisted of a cycle moving within a large wheel.
This was followed by an electronically powered monowhweel in the 1930’s called the “dynasphere”. Unfortunately it had the tendency of sending the driver racing around the wheel in case the device broke suddenly. These monocyles were very difficult to steer.
The current design has been typically a two-wheeled vehicle with one wheel providing the steering while the other providing the motor force.
Now with cheaper, smaller and more advanced gyroscopes, this is about to change.
Airwheel in the UK and Ryno Motors in the US are now producing unicycles with internal stabilizers that will scoot you at a speed of 12mph.
The unicycles are cheap, portable and fun to ride. The Chinese-made unicycles are now being supplied by Aiwheel for the English postal service.
It is not only the mailmen that are using the unicycles. They are even being used by city commuters to get move around.
“They immediately put people in mind of the hoverboard in ‘Back to the Future. In many ways, it feels like technology and science is headed in that direction; towards that mode of transport.” said Simon Parham, the CEO of the London-based company.
The electric unicycle can recharge its batteries when you are going downhill and it has an effective range of 28 miles.
It is rugged enough to gutter-jump and even to be taken off the road.
“It really feels like you’re gliding on nothing. You could relate it to something like snowboarding or skiing but obviously you’re doing it on concrete and gliding around at your leisure rather than requiring mountains and snow,” said Parham, a former stuntman in James Bond films.
He added that he could see the efficacy of and market for the devices immediately and hadn’t even ridden one before he decided to become a distributor for the gadgets.
“We were aware that people might want them just for fun but we’ve been somewhat overwhelmed by how interested business commuters have been in using them to drive into the center of cities or to get to the train station.”